A Soul in Darkness and Light
by OmbreDesDieux
Summary: With Selene as her mother & Helios her father, Luna is a child of ancient gods. But her constant meddling in the mortal realm caused her to be cast out. Banished to Earth, her soul split into 4 pieces, she must find each to end her punishment. But each piece has claimed it's own soulmate, drawing the turtles into a web of mystery encompassing the gods of above & below. M: sex/death
1. Darkness and Light

******Author's note:** This is my first fanfiction. It is not yet complete, but please feel free to tell my what you think! Favorite and Follow for the rest of the story! Sadly I do not own the turtles only my oc's and this story.

**Darkness and Light**

It was dark, but then it was always dark down here. Light meant danger, darkness was safe. Leonardo revelled in the darkness. He embraced it, moved confidently through it and would see it wrapped, like a cloak, around his loved ones. Darkness sheltered, obscured, and shielded them from any who would do them harm. It kept them safe from the intrusions of the world above.

Leo saw well in the dark. What was concealed from others was plain to him. What would the darkness reveal to him tonight? There, what was that? A small gleam of light.

He sought up and down the tunnel for it's source. Light in his darkness always boded ill. It was just a flicker really, a dim glow that was fading fast. But it was moving. On guard now, he disappeared among the shifting shadows, following silently with every sense alert.

Trusting in his skill, Leo drew closer. The glow was pale but to his light starved eyes it was bright enough to see well along the tunnel. There was nothing there. The ghostly flame danced alone. Confused, Leo checked the tunnel for life again, stretching out with all his senses and focusing his mind, but it was still empty. This tiny luminescence moved seemingly of it's own accord.

In all his years down here, Leo had never seen anything like it. It was fascinating to watch, flitting here and there like a hummingbird, bringing it's soft blue light to the shadows. Curious, Leo considered calling his brother. Don would love to see this. But until Leo knew if it posed a threat, he would leave Don out of it.

He would follow this flame and if it turned out to be harmless, then he'd let Don collect it for study. So far, it wasn't doing anything overtly dangerous. It didn't seem to emit any heat, or singe any debris. It hadn't ignited the more flammable gases present either. It's as if this glow was merely a memory of light, unconnected to reality.

Leo thought he could watch it for hours, it was so rare to come across something new down here but unfortunately it was wondering far too near the one place he didn't want it to go. Home.

Leo had been silently watching, blending with the darkness, and it had not seen him. He wondered briefly if the flame like creature even had eyes, or some other form of awareness, but the time for observation was past. Now it was time to act, to draw this creature out, and move it away from his family.

He would expose himself to protect them from discovery. He would distract it and lead it astray. If he couldn't do that he would have to find a way to destroy it.

Leo stepped to the center of the tunnel and watched it alertly. It was the primary focus of his concentration, but experience had taught him to keep an ear out for other noises. This close to home there shouldn't be any intruders. Then again, he'd just followed this little thing here, so there could be others out there, lying in wait in the darkness.

Leo waited, but it didn't seem to notice him. The little light creature was intent on poking around in the shadows near the wall. Normally he wouldn't bother something that wasn't even interested in him, but the wall it was investigating was really a concealed door. It angered him that something unknown was this close to his family.

"Move away from there" Leo growled through clenched teeth, as he drew his weapon. "Pay attention little flame, I'm talking to you!"

It was certainly aware of him now. It... well, it flinched... for lack of a better word. It moved away from the wall and slowly floated toward the center of the tunnel.

Leo made a feint at it with his sword, a swipe he knew to be well short. He didn't really want to hurt it, it was a beautiful little thing after all. Perhaps it was lost? Maybe it was being drawn to a power source like Don's equipment.

It moved quickly back out of reach, then flared so brightly that Leo was momentarily blinded. He stepped back with an oath, and braced himself for the attack that was sure to follow.

Nothing happened. When his eyes cleared, the little flame was still there. It bobbed just out of reach of his sword. Okay, so now they had exchanged warning shots. He hadn't hurt it and it hadn't hurt him. Now what?

_help. _The light flared with a little pulse.

"What was that?" Leo asked, startled.

_help. _ It flared again.

"You want my help?"

_help. _Another flare.

"With what exactly?"

This was something he hadn't considered. That it might be in trouble. It could be sick, or injured, and he'd just taken a swing at it.

Guilt flooded him. He should know better than to judge something unusual so quickly. It didn't look hurt, but what did he know about fire creature things?

It seemed to understand English, though, since it had moved away from the wall at his command. It sounded a bit simple. Perhaps it was young? He'd speak to it like a child.

"Let's start again." he said, "Who are you?"

_sol._

"Your name is Sol?" He tried again. "And you need help?"

_help._

Gods! That was frustrating. This was turning into a game of 20 questions, and all he could get were one word answers. Of course, he wasn't sure how it was talking at all.

"I need to know how to help you." Leo said steadily. He would not lose his temper with this little one.

_show? _

It flickered tentatively toward him, then shied away again when his sword reflected it's light.

It was afraid of him. Leo swallowed hard and felt guilt swamp him again. It was afraid but still asking for his help. It must really need it. He sheathed his sword in one smooth, practiced, movement and turned back to the little creature.

Holding out his hand palm up, in a peaceful gesture, he asked,

"How will you show me?"

_head? _ Another little tremble.

"You need to touch my head?"

As it floated nearer, Leo examined it closely. It was shaped like a teardrop, and hung steadily in the air. He couldn't see how it moved, much less conversed.

_ok? _Sol asked.

"Hold on a moment little one," he said.

It paused while he pulled a small device out of his belt and quickly texted Don. Leo didn't want Don in the thick of it, but he wasn't about to let some strange thing touch him with no one the wiser.

_Intruder. _ He sent. _Use back door, and track me. Small one, says it needs help. _

Leo got an immediate GYB and had to smile. With Don, Got Your Back meant so much more than just doing what was asked. It meant he would put everyone on full alert, activate all surveillance systems, and even notify those topside before he'd head out the back door.

Leo suddenly wondered if Don could even see this little flame on the surveillance cameras. It wasn't very bright after all.

_help? _little Sol said again.

It sounded absolutely pitiful. Leo smiled hoping to make it feel better.

"Ok," he said, spreading his hands "Show me."

Faster than he would have thought possible, the little one zipped toward his head, hit him right between the eyes and disappeared.


	2. Lab Work

**Lab Work**

Don had been in working his studio most of the day. He loved the room his brothers laughingly call "the lab."

A large space, it was at least 30' x 20' with plenty of room to have multiple projects going at once. Plus, it was the only spot in their underground home that had natural light.

Several years ago, Don had managed to fit some solar tube skylights up through the convoluted underground passageways to exit in a private section of a townhouse garden courtyard.

He had done the install of the small domes topside on a dark night. Everyone who lived there assumed it was part of the complex and no one thought twice about it. He had surveillance on it, but the only thing he had seen near the domes in 2 years was a couple of pigeons and a squirrel.

The studio was a tinker's paradise, a place to invent and a quiet place to think. When sharing a home with 3 siblings one definitely needs a space to think.

He'd been living with his brothers all his life and sharing a common living space, dining room and rec room with the guys was fine. Sharing a workspace was not. Especially when he knew some of them were "allergic" to work.

Besides, it really wasn't safe to let the others roam free in "the lab." There were a lot of sensitive experiments going on at once, and if disturbed some of those projects could go boom.

It was still light out, though it was fading fast, when Don got an SOS text from Leo. Someone must be getting too near the front door, since he was calling for an assist and saying go out the back.

He said intruder, but he also said "small one." That's what Leo usually called a kid. Could a child have wandered down this far? Maybe, but they must be outside the surveillance zone, because none of the code red alarms had been triggered.

Don sent Leo a quick GYB and slid his chair across the room. Flipping a couple of switches brought up the heads up display at the front door, and triggered the silent alarm.

Don loved the silent alarm. It sent some code to all their phones to silence them, then vibrated a signal to stand by for a text message. Without a coded password after the vibration, the message wouldn't appear. It was a system Don had invented to keep the important stuff out of others hands.

Don forwarded Leo's message verbatim to his brothers, who had chosen this inopportune time to go out. In fairness, everyone had been out and about, doing their own thing. Leo had his endless patrols, Don his studio. The others had their own interests to follow, but today it was damned inconvenient that they weren't nearby.

Don followed his message to them with a live feed from the surveillance system, so his brother's could see what was going on. He squinted at the monitors. Nothing. He panned through the hundreds of feet of tunnels leading up to the front door, but still couldn't find anything.

Maybe this was another of Leo's "test runs" to make sure we are still functioning as a team. They didn't really need to do as many of those now as they used too, Don thought. They were no longer the crazy teenagers going out into the world half cocked. These days a training run here and there was all that was necessary to keep the team running like a well oiled machine.

Even if it wasn't training though, he wasn't too worried about this situation. Leo was a pro at leading intruders around by the nose. They'd end up back where they started in no time with no clue that he'd led them in circles.

Don knew it was the plea for help that made Leo call for backup. Leo could never resist the cry of something he considered helpless.

"Our fearless leader isn't dumb though," Don thought. "He won't walk into a trap alone."

Then he found Leo, right outside the front door. Someone got THAT close without setting off the other alarms? That got his full attention. Don scanned the screen intently while reaching for his weapons. He didn't see anyone but Leo. He turned on the body heat scanners, but got nothing new.

Since Leo was the only one on screen, Don began analyzing his body language. Leo looked calm. He wasn't reaching for his weapons, and even though this threat was literally outside the front door he was smiling. Weird.

Then Leo spread his arms out to the sides in a welcoming gesture and said "Ok, Show me."

There was a brilliant flash of blue light, then Leo collapsed.

Don hit the door to the the sub-tunnel out the back at a dead run. Part of him was in shock. He just saw Leo shot down! Leo LET himself get hit with some sort of laser! Had there been a hostage off camera? Why didn't Leo defend himself?

Another part of Don's brain was calculating the time and distance around to the front door. He didn't dare go straight out the front, even though that would be the fastest way to help. Leo's sacrifice would be in vain if Don exposed their home that way. So far, the enemy only knew that Leo was alone in a supposedly isolated section of the underground.

The intruder must have been off camera, but Don couldn't understand how. Every inch of the area around the concealed door had been covered. It was simply not possible for someone to hide there.

He pushed the 2-way radio button that figured prominently on their special phones and barked "ETA?!" to his brothers.

"Fifteen minutes." said one clipped and angry voice.

"He's down, Dude! Leo's DOWN!" protested the other.

"E-T-A?!" Don snarled again, biting off each letter.

"8 minutes," came the sheepish reply. "I'm at the crossroads. "

"Not close enough." Don nearly moaned.

He redoubled his efforts, running so hard he could barely breath. Even at this pace, with all the twists and turns that they had added for safety, he wouldn't reach the front entrance for another 4.5 minutes.

"Did anyone see the enemy?" Don panted, "I didn't stay to watch, but you've got the video feed!"

"I only saw the shot, the night vision's not picking up much. No heat signature." came the strangled reply. They must be running full tilt. No time to really stop and check the feed for more information.

Don's hand shot out and grabbed a pipe. He used it to slide around a hairpin curve on the trash gathered there, cutting 30 seconds off his time. 3 minutes now to the scene.

At least I remembered the med kit, Don thought. He hoped the attacker had fled and he could jump right in to treatment. He would let his brothers dish out the punishment.

Leo might be down, but Don refused to count him out.


	3. What is Seen cannot be Unseen

**What is Seen...**

What the little one was showing Leo, was like watching a movie in reverse. He saw their confrontation, followed by a rapid backtracking of Sol's movements through the tunnels.

Quickly the vision past the point where Leo had picked up it's trail and backtracked even further through the sewers, rewinding so fast that parts of the journey were a blur.

Leo felt stunned. This had not been at all what he had expected. He felt dizzy watching this vision and found his mind wandering. Had Sol stumbled on their home by chance? Or had it been drawn to them in some other way? Leo was distracted from his musing as the little one at last arrived at the scene it wanted to share.

_Help! _Sol suddenly demanded again. The little one's "voice" didn't sound any different now than it did when it was floating in front of Leo. That's when Leo realized what he had been hearing all along was in his head. This flickering creature of light and fire, this Sol, was telepathic.

As much as he wanted to stop and marvel at this revelation, there was no time. The image that was now playing forward in his head demanded an immediate response. Sol certainly did need help. Or at least it's companion did.

Leo shook his head, as his own vision slowly returned, and discovered he was now lying on the floor of the tunnel. He dragged himself to his feet and paused, groaning, as the tunnel spun around him.

It wasn't that Sol had intentionally injured him, it was more that the vision had been accompanied by a kind of emotional punch he had been unprepared for. As if the feelings of the subject had been captured along with the image. And the extreme pain and pure terror were horrifying. It had not only brought him to his knees, but to a complete collapse.

Sol had projected several jerky moments of first person footage. It was like watching one of Mike's video games on mute, he couldn't hear any of it.

Leo's training had quickly kicked in and he began analyzing everything he could see. It was definitely topside, set in a rather familiar looking dank alley. He couldn't tell much about the victim, except that they were taking a severe beating, but Leo felt each blow as if it were against his own body.

He was instantly enraged. This kind of thing was the very reason he felt the need to constantly patrol, both topside and in the tunnels. So many violent offenders roamed the streets these days, and many were helpless to fend them off.

Even ending Shredder's dark rule of the criminal underworld years ago, had not stemmed the tide of evil flowing in the city.

Suddenly there was a dark pause in the vision. The pain faded slightly, and Leo gasped for breath. Had they blacked out? For how long? He couldn't tell as Sol chose that moment to fast forward. The vision slowed again at the next sign of movement.

It was the same perspective as before, but now it was darker. Whoever it was had crept into the tunnels. Somehow they had escaped and were fleeing as best they could. Choked with fear, ragged with pain and constantly checking behind for pursuit, they took the next turn and ran headlong off the edge of a Long Fall.

Leo's heart almost stopped, his terror combining with the victims as they fell together into the black.

******Cannot Be Unseen****...**

A Long Fall is a tunnel that runs vertically through the underground. They drop straight down several stories from the surface, and are used mostly for ventilation. Leo had always thought of them as the city's version of an oubliette. Things that fall down them were best forgotten, dropping out of sight into the depths, never to be seen again.

There was no way to tell where this one was. There were hundreds of Long Falls in the city, and though he could probably trace the general direction from Sol's rewind, it might take him days or even weeks to find the right one.

They could not have survived that fall. He had thankfully been spared the physical agony of the impact, but the emotional pain lingered on. Leo wanted to weep. He could have fought the assailants, but how could he break it to this amazing little one that no help could possibly save it's companion now?

The perspective of the vision suddenly changed. This new view was more like a camera slowly panning around, and Leo was able to make out a small face and an outstretched arm, despite the darkness.

His heart ached as he watched. Even though he looked very carefully he didn't see any movement from the tiny form. The final frames of the vision chilled his soul, and he wondered if he would even be able to recover the body. Should he try? Would it help the little one find closure?

Leo suddenly knew he would. He would search, every waking moment if need be. He would mobilize every asset, and call in every favor owed, because with the change in perspective had come another change.

Sound.

Leo heard soft singing. It came from the small form on the ground, in a language he did not understand. It was a song that cried out to him of pain and despair. The song pushed at the blackness surrounding it and begged for redemption.

Against all odds, she was alive. She had sent her Sol to find him, but she was slipping away. Dying all alone, out there in the darkness.


	4. There and back again

**There and Back Again**

Don slowed as he rounded the last corner and saw Leo slumped over on the ground. His brothers weren't here yet, and Don did not want to run into whatever had taken out Leo alone. But he couldn't just leave Leo lying there on the tunnel floor.

A glint of light reflected off the tunnel roof and proceeded in the opposite direction. Whoever it was, they were moving away. His brothers would track them down. Right now, Don needed to get to Leo.

As he began to move stealthily towards where his brother lay, Leo groaned and pushed himself to his feet. Don froze, and waited to see if the sound brought the enemy rushing back. They would not get a second chance at Leo. Don would see to that.

"Sol?" Leo called, in a choked voice.

"No, Donnie" Donatello answered as he slipped quietly to his brother's side.

Don began a quick evaluation of Leo, keeping an ear out for the enemy's return. He flashed a small pen light at Leo's eyes, checked his breathing and pulse. Leo seemed stunned. He kept shaking his head, and tears were rolling down his cheeks.

"She's hurt Donnie." Leo said in a low, harsh, voice. He shuddered, "She's dying."

Don clasped his brother shoulders and looked into his eyes. They were lost, haunted by some nightmare.

"Who is?" Don asked quietly.

"I was there with her. I have to get back. I can't let her die alone..." Leo replied his voice trailing off.

"What are you talking about Leo?"

Just then Michelangelo arrived. He slid to a stop in front of them and whooped. "You're alive!" as he pulled Leo into a giant hug.

Then he spun, ripping out his weapons, as sounds coming from behind indicated someone else approaching at a dead run. Don pushed a still dazed Leo up against the wall and took up a stance directly in front of him. Leo slid down the wall clutching his knees to his chest.

Raphael rounded the corner with a sai in each fist, ready to maim whatever had injured Leo. He took one look at his brothers defensive stance and whirled around to see what had followed him. Nothing. The tunnel was empty once again.

There was a long, silent pause while the three brothers stretched their senses in every direction assessing the sites, smells and sounds of the tunnel around them. A silence only broken by Leonardo's quiet sobs. The sound of his eldest brother weeping set Raph on fire. He had never heard Leo cry, ever.

"I'll kill 'em. Whoever it was, whatever they did, I'm gonna take 'em apart piece by piece!" Raph shrieked, shaking with a rage and fervor even he had never felt before. Mikey just stared.

The coast clear for the moment, Don slowly turned to Leo. He was crouched against the wall, head on his knees, arms wrapped around them for support. It was a pitiful position. One that Don had never expected to see his brother assume.

Don knelt, clasped Leo's arms gently and whispered, "Leonardo, my brother, what happened?"

Leo couldn't seem to find his focus. He tried to raise his eyes to meet Donatello's gaze, but mentally he was with the girl, and couldn't seem to find his way back again.

With great difficulty, Leo focused his mind and pushed away some of the pain and despair then looked up into his brother's worried face. Don knew that look. Leo was going into shock.

"Let's get you inside" Don said to him quickly. "You think it's OK to go in the front?" he asked. After all, no one had seen the enemy yet, except Leo, who looked around quickly.

"Where's Sol?" Leo asked.

"Who's Sol?" Mikey replied. "We haven't seen anyone."

"Was Sol the kid?" Don asked, looking quickly back at Leo "Is she the one you took the hit for? The one that's hurt?"

"It's not what you think." Leo said, shaking his head. He was still having trouble forming coherent thoughts. Flashes of memory kept imposing themselves across in his vision, and they weren't his memories.

"Let's get you in." Don said again, "You need to rest. You can explain later."

"We need Sol!" Leo insisted, "Time is running out. She's calling... she's dying…" His voice trailed off again.

Don and Mikey exchanged a worried look over his head. Raphael, after his initial outburst, had remained silent. But now he pushed forward, shoved Mikey out of the way, and knelt next to Don in front of Leo.

"Where's Sol", he asked quietly looking into Leo's eyes intently. Leo looked at him warily.

"What are you gonna do?" Leo asked

Raph shrugged. "Bring him back. You said we need him. If a kid is dying, we better get our shells in gear."

Don's mouth fell open. He never heard Raph speak so calmly after such an outburst of rage. Especially when one of his brothers was injured. He had thought it would take hours to talk Raph down. Raphael was finally growing up.

Leo sighed saying, "It hasn't gone far, probably just down the tunnel there. I can still feel it."

"How do I catch him? What was that beam?" Raph asked, with the same searching look.

"You won't need to catch it." Leo said quietly. "If you back off a few yards, it'll come check on me. It's afraid of you."

"Someone that got the drop on you is afraid of us?" Mikey asked amazed.

Don followed that question with one of his own. "How do you know it's afraid?"

"I told you, I can _feel_ it, just back off a bit and you'll see." Leo replied quietly.

Reluctantly, Don gathered the others and shooed them a ways down the tunnel, opposite where he had seen the light die out. They turned and waited, all eyes on Leo, who still sat partially slumped against the wall, panting and trying to get his emotions under control. They didn't have to wait long.

After experiencing that fall, the darkness no longer seemed like a haven to Leo and he was agitated in it. He felt lost, bereft of the soft glow of the amazing little creature who had so incredibly, if briefly brought the light.

Leo couldn't tell which feelings were his own anymore. This fear of the dark must belong to the girl. He pushed it back, trying to keep his other emotions in check as well. He had to be able to see past the pain and terror he had just experienced if he was going to find her in time.

Leonardo didn't even know her name but he had been connected to her on a deep emotional level. Now he felt the same desperate need to get to her, as he would have if it was Mikey or Raph lying out there instead.

Light was returning to the tunnel, but so slowly it was almost imperceptible. Don wouldn't have noticed it at all under other circumstances. He only saw it because he was watching the tunnel so intently for anything out of the ordinary.

A timid voice echoed down the tunnel.

blue?

Leo would have laughed if the situation wasn't so dire. It seemed he never got around to giving little Sol his name, so it was calling out his color instead.

"It's ok little one." Leo said as gently as he could, "They won't hurt you. Come back."

Ever so slowly the increased light in the area began to gather, coalescing into a small barely glowing teardrop shape that bobbed in front of Leo without support. Don, fascinated, started toward them. The little light bravely stood it's ground in front of Leo until Don stood right in front of them. Only flinching back a little when Don leaned his face in close to check it out.

"Don, stay back!" Raph growled low in his throat. "What the hell is that, Leo?"

Raph sounded fierce. He hated being taken off guard, and he still wanted to kill something. Somehow, though he managed to keep a reign on his temper.

Don's eyes had remained glued to the creature, lost in theoretical abstracts about what it might be. Mikey was the only one who saw the moment of relief on Leo's face that Raph had not acted on his temperamental outburst.

Leo's reactions were still good, but the vision had sapped his strength. He actually wasn't sure he could have stopped Raph if he had decided to attack the little one. Leo knew that what he needed was to rest and recover, but there was no way he was going to now. Not when the girl lay dying out there somewhere.

"That," Leo replied quietly "is Sol."


	5. Negotiations

**Negotiations**

Less than 20 minutes later, Don and Mikey gathered a small group of associates in an underground cul-de-sac on the very edge of their territory. It was a fairly comfortable space, with some cushions for sitting and a short Japanese style tea table that served as a planning space. There were quite a few of these meeting places scattered about down here.

Leo had established them years ago as an alternative to meeting in their home. He'd taken the time to scout out locations and furnish them with the basics needed to convene. This way meetings could be held with outsiders without their home being revealed. It had been one of the best decisions Leo had ever made, Don reflected.

Earlier in the tunnel, shock had robbed Leo of his usual gift for strategy. He had briefly told them of following the flame and trying to scare it off.

He had told them of a mysterious girl and the torture she'd suffered. His usually calm voice had cracked and broken as he recounted it and the story had been so garbled, it was hard to make heads or tails of.

Finally Don worked out that the little flame creature had somehow shared a horrible memory of what had happened to the girl with Leo. No wonder he was in shock.

Sol had grown more and more agitated, the longer they lingered in the tunnel and Leo had reflected the same anxiety. Finally Leo couldn't stand to wait any longer and took off on his own to search, after extracting a promise that the others would do as much as they could in his absence.

Don and Mikey were confused by this very un-Leo like behavior but Raph had taken one look at Leo's crazed face and understood. Raph had always been the one with an excess of emotion, the one who had to focus all the time to control his actions. He understood, better than any of the others, the pain of keeping such extreme emotions inside.

Raphael felt nothing but pity for his brother, who was not just dealing with his own emotions, but also the emotions of the victim herself. The horror of being helpless to save her, while being forced to watch that vision was it's own kind of torture.

"I'll take care of him" Raph said quietly, and took off down the corridor behind Leo and the little flame.

Since they had left, Don formulated a plan that he hoped might let them find girl before it was too late. From the look on Leo's face, too late was going to be too much to bear. But it was going to take quick work and the cooperation of a group that did not generally work well together to pull it off.

Don narrowed the area of the city where the girl could have fallen to roughly 40 square blocks. The alley from the vision, which had seemed familiar to Leo had been identified. Not two days ago, Leo and Mikey had run a short patrol over by a new building construction site, to check the place for illegal activity. They had jumped a couple of creeps in that very alley who were trying to mug a tourist.

That gave Don a center point for his search grid. Calculating how far the villains could have carried the girl before she got away again, had given him an outer radius for his search area.

Now they just had to identify all the Long Falls inside that circle and check them out.

Easier said than done. There were layers upon layers of underground areas to search in that area. Old sewers buried deep, Subway tunnels, utility runs, newer surface layer tunnels, and commuter exchanges, some of which carried their own populations.

Seated with Don now were an array of interesting characters he hoped would solve these problems. None of them could really be called trustworthy, and they stared malevolently at one another, but most owed at least one of the brothers' personal favors so an unspoken truce was being observed.

To his left were a pair of scruffy looking little thieves. A young boy and girl, twins, who had been living in and out of the tunnels for some time now. They were wizards at slipping unnoticed into buildings. And that was exactly what Don needed to obtain all the blueprints for underground areas in the search radius.

How he wished those blueprints had been digitized, then he could just hack into the system to get them, but most of the older tunnel plans could only be found in the dusty back rooms of some city buildings downtown.

Next to the catburglars sat a representative from the homeless group, who populated the near surface tunnels in that part of the city. He was there to advise on the movements of tunnel dwellers in the area, and help isolate long falls once a map was compiled.

And then there was Chinowa. He was one of the gang that operated in that area. Don found it a bit distasteful to be dealing with the criminal element he and his brothers were all continuously fighting, but Chinowa was an exception.

Raph had saved him one night from a hit put out on him by a rival gang. While he was a bit of a loose cannon, Chinowa had become a dependable informant. If the beating of the girl was gang related, Chinowa would know.

Negotiations with the twins were easy. They owed Leo after all, and they merely agreed to Don's terms and slipped out to acquire the blueprints.

The briefing with the homeless rep was enlightening. The rep told of a recent upswing in violence in that area, though Chinowa said his gang hadn't been involved, and the rival gangs had been suspiciously quiet of late. Both were relieved to hear that Don and his family would look into it.

Don was planning on more than looking into it and finding this girl. He was planning to avenge her. Or at least avenge Leo, since his brother had obviously been devastated by the experience.

The twins were back in record time, and the group bent to the task of outlining all the places she might have fallen.


	6. Role Reversal

**Role reversal**

Raph easily caught up to his brother and together they fell into a ground covering trot perfected by years of training.

Countless nights on patrol made them intimately familiar with each others movements. And Raph could tell that Leo was off. He was slow, jumpy, and lacked his usual fluid grace.

Raph remained uncharacteristically silent, as he paced along, but he used the time to observe Leo, think through the evenings events and keep an eye on the strange little flame bobbing along with them. He regarded Sol with a mixture of wonder and suspicion.

It was a while before Leo broke the silence.

"You think I've lost it, don't you" he said, pausing so that Raph could run up beside him.

"No, I think ya are finally reacting normally. " Raph replied. "I knew one day, something would spur ya to trust your instincts and act without bothering to spend years planning. But I couldn't of imagined this" he said, waving at the incredible little creature floating along beside them.

"Your problem bro, is that ya try to cover every contingency ya'self and don't trust your brothers to help ya" Raph continued.

"And yours is striking without thinking things through," Leo snapped angrily.

"Know that," Raph replied, refusing to rise to the bait. "Been thinking about it a lot these past few months, since…" he trailed off, not sure whether or not he was ready to talk about this secret. "Well, ya know, since" he concluded lamely.

Leo knew. It had taken years, but he had finally come to understand what Raph really needed. More patience than a saint, an ear to vent to on a regular basis, and occasional proof that the world was not better off without him.

It was the last bit that Raph was referring to now.

Six months ago, they had been out on patrol, and it had been a terrible night. There had been a clash of wills, and an innocent had suffered. Leo hadn't realized how badly Raph had taken that incident until later that evening when he'd came across his brother poised on the edge of a 12 story rooftop with nowhere to go but down.

It had taken hours for Leo to talk Raph away from the edge.

They had grown closer after that, and Leo forced himself to find time each day to speak to Raph without the usual snide comments. Sure they still butted heads, but Leo found he actually liked having some private time with Raph. The hot-head was not nearly as unobservent as he seemed. Raph just didn't consider his own input worthy, so instead of offering his thoughts, he lashed out.

Raphael couldn't have been more wrong. Leo found these conversations considerably enlightening. Raph's perspective of any given situation was unconventional. Raph observed, deduced and pointed out details that Leo himself hardly noticed. Details which often turned out to be vitally important.

Because of these quiet conversations, Leo was finally beginning to trust in more than just Raph's fighting skills. Perhaps he could trust Raph with this as well.

"Raphael" Leo began quietly, "Thank you for coming with me. I do need your help. More than you know."

Raph was confused as he watched Leo slow, then deliberately drop the mask of competence he usually wore. Leo's face twisted in agony, and his words began to flow, fast and furious.

"What they were doing, what they did - to the girl- was monstrous Raph." Leo stuttered. "I don't know how Sol did it, but I could feel everything they did to her. Every. Single. Blow. She tried to fight, but they had us pinned."

"The leader backhanded us across the face and snapped our head against the wall. Blood was everywhere. I could feel it running down the back of our neck, from a cut on our mouth and from the gash over our eyes."

Raph grabbed Leo's arm and pulled him to a stop, terribly concerned. He didn't miss the fact that Leo flinched away from his hand, or that his description had gone from 'her' to 'us'.

"Two hard strikes directly to the stomach dropped us to the alleyway. Then they all kicked us, over and over." Leo felt all the blood drain out of his face, trapped in the memory.

"There are broken ribs. I can feel them, sharp and stabbing against our lungs. And they didn't just beat us, Raph." Leo had to stop and swallow convulsively, before he could go on.

"They… They violated us. " Leo panted in horror. "All of them, one after another. I could taste them in our mouth. I could smell them, feel the weight of them on our body. And the PAIN inside... "

Leo let out a sob, and turned to face the tunnel wall in shame.

"Raph," he whispered " I've never felt anything like it in my life. I couldn't do ANYTHING! Only watch and bear it with her. I've never felt so helpless."

Raph felt helpless too against this onslaught of pain. He had never been the one to offer comfort. Advice sometimes, but comfort was out of his league.

"I don't know how she got away. She shouldn't have been able to stand." Leo shuddered. "Then to have finally escaped, only to fall…"

Raph's eyes had widened so much, as he listened to his brother's lament, that the whites showed all around. He and his brothers had seen many horrific things in their lives. They had fought and even killed when necessary, but rape was one thing Raph would never understand. It was a dishonor so deep, it could only be punished by death. And now his brother had been raped too. At least psychically. Raph felt sick.

"And nobody tried to stop 'em? To help ya?" Raph raged aghast. "What about this thing?"

He jerked his thumb angrily at the little flame bobbing alongside. He couldn't stop the glare he sent toward Sol, though what he thought the creature could have done remained unclear. The little one shivered and drifted further away from him

Leo shook his head.

"I couldn't see Sol. God knows how it got a hold of the memory. I'm not even sure if it knows her, or just stumbled across her and decided to be a good samaritan."

"As agitated as he is?" Raph said, watching the little flame orbit his brother urgently.

"He knows her, and if he didn't do anything to help..." Raph trailed off menacingly. He clenched his fists and stepped towards Sol, his intent clear.

"It's an innocent Raph," Leo said sharply, "It knew she was being hurt, but I don't think it understood exactly what was going on. It's not like us."

Raph didn't have an answer to that, so he fell silent.

Leo was becoming more desperate as time past, there was no way to know how much of it the girl had left. He had to get ahold of himself, but he just kept shaking.

What if she was already gone? A burning pain slammed into the center of his chest at the thought. It couldn't be too late, and he couldn't just stand around. Shaking off his immobility, Leo took off again down the tunnel.

Raphael watched his brother clutch his chest and speed away down the tunnel. He moved to follow quickly. Leo was in no condition to fight if he did catch up to any of those guys. Besides, Raph had something he wanted to give those thugs too. A little something he called payback.

Despite what the others thought, despite all the verbal clashes, Raphael cared deeply for his older brother. Leonardo had always been protective, first of his siblings, then of those that he considered helpless and being forced to stand by unable to intervene while one of them was repeatedly tortured, was worse than enduring torture himself.

The fact that his brother had actually experienced the beating and violation too… Raph didn't even want to think about that. He suddenly began to fear what would happen to Leo if they did find the girl, and she was already gone.


	7. No good deed

**No good deed…**

Luna lay alone in the darkness, her body beaten and broken. Her bones shattered along with her soul. She should be dead, but her heritage somehow kept her heart stubbornly beating. It wouldn't be long though, barring some miracle. She knew she would not be allowed to rejoin her family. Her punishment was incomplete.

Softly, in between tears, she began to sing. The song was an ancient one, sung to her mother the moon. A plea to Selene for light to push back the darkness, to ease the pain, and to beg for comfort. She had never thought to die alone.

She had never thought to die at all. She wished that Sol, at least, had stayed with her, but she'd felt him go as she was falling. Perhaps that was better. He was too gentle, too good to follow her down to death.

When she had first been banished, she couldn't imagine what would be in store. She knew it was going to be long and painful, but hadn't expect to arrive in a body that was already flawed.

She remembered when she first opened her eyes, and her confusion at seeing only darkness. She was beautiful, or so she'd been told. Petite and pale skinned, with flowing hair so blond it was almost white and eyes as clear as crystal. Unfortunately those eyes were useless, she was entirely blind.

Life had certainly not be easy.

She drifted for a while, escaping into her memories.

Sol had simply found her one day and brought hope into her darkness.

_hello? _

Startled out of her reverie, Luna tilted her head to try and trace the voice. She'd found that since one of her senses was impaired, her other four seemed to have become more sensitive to compensate. She couldn't seem to track this voice though. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.

"Hello?" She questioned to the room at large. "Is someone there?"

_here. _Was the firm reply.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in." She sighed. "Can I help you with something?"

She really hadn't heard anyone enter her private room at the shelter, which was odd. She didn't miss much. But she had been distracted, thinking about the fundraiser coming up next week.

She'd been working at the shelter since shortly after her unfortunate arrival. It had been a stroke of luck to find a position with them. They needed a spokesperson that would garner sympathy of the socially elite for their fundraising efforts, and Luna with her petite good looks and intelligence had fit the bill.

They had offered her room, board, and a small salary for her help and It had seemed like a good exchange. Luna had felt pleased that, even in her banishment, she could help out those less fortunate than herself. It was her little act of continued rebellion.

She stretched her senses to see who had come in without knocking, but couldn't find a single presence in the room. Maybe they were standing in the doorway?

She got up from her chair and straightened her second hand suit. Quickly tugging on the lapels of her jacket and smoothing her skirt. Then she walked carefully around her desk to lean casually against the front of it.

She had been here long enough to learn where everything was in her room. So long as the janitor didn't move anything, she could move around in here freely. And meeting people standing up, she'd learned, was safer than sitting down.

"Did you need something?" she tried again.

_friend. _ Came the sad reply.

She suddenly wondered about the age of her visitor. Perhaps one of the children had wandered away from their parents downstairs. It was the dinner hour and a lot of homeless and poverty stricken families were here getting a bite to eat.

She knelt down, toward the door where she thought her visitor must be. She worried about a child roaming around alone. This place was relatively safe but there were dangers, sometimes from the child's own family. Best if they stay here, Luna thought.

Protocol said she should call down to the floor supervisor to find the guardian, but screw protocol. It was clear to her this child needed a friendly ear.

She had nothing but compassion for the youngsters in the shelter, and she'd found that the children tended to be drawn to her. Kneeling seemed to make them less afraid to approach.

_nice lady? _ said the voice.

A small boy, she thought. Sounds about four or five. Usually a child that age would speak in complete sentences, but she'd found that the shelter children tended to be rather reticent and shy, especially with strange adults. She smiled and stretched her arms toward the door, offering the little one a hug.

"It's ok," she encouraged, "I work here. I would never hurt you."

_lady Good. _ There was a short pause, followed by,

_lady can Speak? _

Luna was confused. The verbal capitals were clearly audible, and she didn't know what the child was talking about. He couldn't know, could he? No, there's no way this sad child was part of her lost world. She held her position, still beckoning gently to him.

_help you._

Help me? Luna wondered. But couldn't pursue the thought, as she felt the gentle breeze, that signaled the child running toward her. She braced herself for the impact as she prepared to close her arms around him. But she wasn't prepared for the intense feeling of warmth on her forehead, or the blue light that flared behind her dark eyes before she fell to the floor.

Luna came back to the present with a sharp jolt. She opened her eyes again. It was a futile gesture, she knew, since it was completely black in here. Even if Sol had been around to help her see. The pain had faded somewhat, but she knew that was probably not a good sign. She began to weep quietly again. The gods were so unfair. She'd only been trying to help after all, but it seems that no good deed goes unpunished.


	8. The Search

**The Search**

It was Michelangelo who finally came up with the solution.

Don had been beating his head against the proverbial wall, trying to determine how they were going to search every one of these stupid Long Falls without climbing all the way to the bottom of each. A task that was guaranteed to waste too much precious time, when Mikey piped up.

"This looks like a job for… the super spy copters!" he declared happily.

Don sighed, but then gave it a second thought. Mikey was right! This was a perfect job for those damn spy copters.

Mikey had wanted a souped up version of those little hover copters in malls for his birthday several years ago, and Don had finally relented and built him one. Of course this one had a gyroscopic stabilizer and proximity sensors to keep Mike from crashing it. Don was tired of always repairing Mike's toys.

But one was never enough with Mikey. Over the next six months, he had begged, pleaded and cajoled until Don gave in and the one had expanded into a small fleet of copters that Mikey piloted all over their home. They were a tremendous nuisance. Especially after Mike added cameras to all of them and started taking blackmail video.

But they would be perfect for this search. Each had lights, a camera, and a tracking device. After the blackmail incident, the tracking device had been installed so Don could programmatically lock them out of certain areas of the house.

They could take the copters to the center point of the search area and release them all in different directions. It wouldn't take long to program them where to go, and they could just fly to the bottom of each fall and check it out.

"Mikey, you're a genius!" Don exclaimed. "Let's head back home. You get the copters, I'll grab my laptop, and we'll set up our own search and rescue opt. just under that alley."

"Awesome!" Mike shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "Last one to the lair…"

"How many times do I have to tell you. Only villains have lairs" Don grumbled.

It had been the work of moments to gather what they needed and only a short time to make it to the alley in question. Mikey was in seventh heaven at finally having the idea that might save the day, and was humming happily to himself while setting up his spy copters in a neat row. He checked each camera carefully, and turned the lights on and off.

Don was tapping away madly at his laptop, programming the coordinates of each Fall they had identified, and uploading them to a copter. With any luck, they would find the girl in the next half hour or so.

Finally all was ready, and Michelangelo stood back and watched with pride as all 20 of his super-spy copters rose from the ground and scattered in all directions down a dozen different tunnels. He hurried over to Don and gazed intently over his shoulder at the monitor, to see what the little copters were picking up.

So far it was just a bunch of empty sewer tunnels. Boring. 10 minutes passed and Mikey was beginning to fidget. So far, they'd seen a whole lot of nothing. At 20 minutes and 30 Long Falls later, Mikey gave up watching the screen and moved to the center of the open space to practice his flips. Mikey hated sitting still, he had enough energy for any three turtles and found that the only way to focus was to constantly burn off the excess.

Not five minutes later, Don let out a horrified gasp, and Mikey stopped his bouncing to run over to the computer. Don double clicked the small frame holding one of the camera feeds and it grew to fill the screen.

Mikey was no innocent, no matter his childlike manner and energy. He had fought beside his brothers for years and dished out pain and injury to those that deserved it with no more thought then he gave to crushing a cockroach. He had seen many battles and their aftermath. He had seen friends and allies injured, even near death, but none of that prepared him for this vision of a tiny girl crushed at the bottom of the Fall.

Counter to what Leo had told them of his vision, she had not just fallen to the bottom. Oh no. Now she was covered with and surrounded by debris of all sorts. As if whoever had assaulted her wanted to make sure the job was finished and had pitched whatever they could find down on top of her until they were sure she was dead.

A large piece of concrete had pinned her legs and another crushed her left arm. A large wooden beam lay across her chest and her head lolled back at a strange angle. There were tear marks all down her face, clear tracks through the dust, and blood had pooled under her head and shoulders. Her right arm remained flung out as if beseeching aid.

Mikey couldn't pull his horrified gaze away from the screen, so Don slowly got out his phone and pressed the 2-way button. He had to clear his throat twice before he could get any words past the lump that settled there.

God! What was this going to do to Leo?

"Guys," he said quietly into the device, "We found her."


	9. Too late

**Too Late…**

Leonardo felt his heart beat wildly as he heard Don's voice come out of his phone, saying quietly "We found her."

He was so overjoyed to hear it that he missed the carefully controlled tone of Don's voice and the sadness there. He practically ripped the device from his belt.

"Coordinates" he barked into it in a clipped tone. He finally felt back in control.

Don relayed them and sent a route to his phone that showed the shortest path to the level where she lay.

Raph hadn't missed it though, and he picked up his own phone and quickly texted Don for a status update. He didn't want to be blindsided by her condition. The response he received made his stomach turn and he suddenly felt empty, hollow inside. Don had only sent him a screenshot in reply, but that was enough.

There was no way in hell she was alive.

"Leo!" Raph called to halt his brother, who was now running full speed down the corridor.

"Let's just take a moment here, 'kay? I mean, uh, we need to be prepared, just in case, ya know?"

Leo had stopped at Raph's words. He looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes.

"Raphael, " he said formally, "This is no time for delay. She is grievously injured and every second we waste here, could be her last."

Leo turned and resumed his headlong flight down the tunnel, checking his direction every so often on the phone. Raph sighed and picked up his pace. He would be there to help his brother when the world came crashing down.

Leonardo was a stone's throw away from the Fall where she lay, when he began to feel that something was terribly wrong. He peered cautiously up the tunnel into the bottom of the Fall. It didn't look right. Could Don have somehow got the location wrong?

It didn't match his earlier vision. He could make out a large pile of debris in the center that blocked his view, but he couldn't see the girl. Sol was agitated as well. It moved frenetically around the corridor, bouncing back and forth between Leo and the pile of rubble, but Sol's little glow was not really enough to light the space.

Carefully stepping around the edges of the pile, Leo caught a glimpse of pale hair, and a scream suddenly reverberated through the Fall.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

He didn't even realize it had come from his own mouth. Leo lunged forward and snatched at the large wooden beam that lay across her chest. Adrenaline and panic fueled him, letting him wrench it off her body. He hurled it away, and it shattered into thousands of pieces against the wall, just like his heart.

Leo was too frantic to see Raph move in to free her left arm and lever the concrete off of her legs. He crouched over her and gently pushed back her hair, anxiously stroking her face.

"Wake up Sweetheart." he murmured, "I'm here. I'm gonna get you out."

His heart sank as there was absolutely no response. Leo fumbled for a pulse, but found nothing. He checked for breathing, holding his hand close to her mouth and nose. Still nothing. He felt dazed and dizzy. He couldn't catch his breath.

This wasn't possible. He couldn't have failed her. Not after what they'd been through. The devastation he'd been holding at bay, the trauma of the rape, and the physical pain he'd been fighting off to find her began to crash over him.

Leonardo clutched her body close, collapsing beside her in shock and pulling her into his lap.

"Noooooo." he moaned in a low, stunned, voice rocking her back and forth. Tears spilled from his eyes, soaking into his mask. He shook his head repeatedly, this couldn't be real. Holding her motionless form felt like the worst kind of nightmare.

Raphael crossed quickly to his brother, and knelt in front of him, waving away the little blue flame orbiting Leo's head as if it was an annoying insect. Tears in his eyes for his brother's pain, Raphael reached out to Leo and tried to take the girl from his arms.

"She's gone Leo," Raph said softly, "Give her to me. We'll take her home."

Anger and pain flared to life in Leo as comprehension returned to his gaze. He jerked her body away from Raph, and stared down at the beaten face and shattered body of the fragile girl in his arms.

Then the screaming began.

First it was just Leo's voice, torn with rage and pain. Loss formed into it's most primal form. Forcing it's way from his body. But the moment he began to scream, Sol went mad.

It began to pulse rapidly, heating as it became bigger and brighter with each flare.

As the screaming went on and on, Raph threw up his arms to shield his eyes from the fire and backed away across the Fall. He tried to force his way in again, to pull Leo to safety, but the flame had spun itself into a huge fiery whirlwind that roared up through the Fall, magnifying Leo's screams. It burned Raphael and pushed him back, pummeling him with debris.

Leo staggered to his feet in the center of the whirlwind, with the girl in his arms. Suddenly, the wind collapsed back on itself and crashed into him with physical force, engulfing his body in blue. Truly burning inside and out, Leo tilted back his head and roared a demand to the heavens in a strange language, raising the girl over his head as if in supplication.

The blue surrounding him solidified into a single beam, rocketing straight up the Fall. It shot out into the night, piercing the darkness with the brilliance of a shooting star and disappeared from view.

Silence fell. Raphael stood, frozen and wide eyed, across the Fall from his brother. He just stared as Leo slowly crumpled back to the earth, the girl held tight to his chest.


	10. Fathers

**Fathers**

Raphael was completely out of his depth. How the HELL was he supposed to deal with this? Slowly he pulled out his phone and pressed the 2-way button, then took his finger off it again. He didn't know what he was going to say.

* * *

Don and Mike packed up the rescue operation and took the gear back home. Neither of them discussed it but they both knew they didn't really want to be there when Leo found out what had happened to the girl.

When they didn't hear from Raph after a bit, however, Don began to be concerned. He pulled out his phone, pushed the 2-way channel.

"Raph, Raph come in." He called. There wasn't an immediate response, and he and Mikey traded worried looks.

"Raph, answer me. What's going on. Is Leo ok?" Don waited, but still didn't get an answer. "Damn it Raph! Pick up!"

"I'm here," Raph finally responded. "Um, can you guys come an get us? An' hurry, 'kay? Leo is..." there was a long pause as Raph tried to decide how best to end that sentence.

"broken." He finally concluded.

* * *

Don and Mikey hurried toward the fall. As Don rounded the last corner, he stopped with a sniff. What was that charred smell? He licked his lips nervously. The air didn't taste right either. He hurriedly clicked on the small lamp he'd brought and stepped carefully clear of the debris near the entrance.

As he stopped to examine the walls of the Fall, his mouth dropped open. What had done this? There were sweeping black streaks of soot swirled up the walls as far as he could see. The grate high overhead had been blown off and he could see the stars.

Don turned a slow circle, staring around in shock. The only clean space in the whole area was exactly in the center of the Fall, about 4 feet across and contained a distraught Leo and the tiny broken form of the girl.

He turned a questioning look on Raph, who stood not too far away, soot covered himself, and almost invisible against the wall.

"Sol" was all Raph said.

"Sol did this?!" Don exclaimed, staring around again. "He's not bright enough to see by!"

"Ya don't believe me?" Raph said, "Go to the tape!" And he tossed a slightly melted spy copter in Don's direction. "I think it caught most of it. "

Don suddenly couldn't wait to get back to his lab and see what was salvageable from the device, but his eyes kept coming back to Leo in the center of the space.

"How long's he been like that?" Don asked.

Raph looked back at his oldest brother who sat with the girl cradled in his lap, face tilted towards her, eyes closed. He looked like he was meditating, if you discounted the fact that he was covered in blood, with a terrible twist of grief on his features.

"Since the light show," Raph replied. "I'm glad ya guys are here, Donnie. I don't have a clue what to do for 'im. I would have said he didn't know tha' girl from Eve, but I think whatever Sol did to give him that memory, made 'em like family or sometin'."

Donnie wasn't sure what to do either. He'd never seen his brother suffering under anything this profound, and their father was out of reach for advice. He was still pondering, when Mikey interrupted.

"Uh, guys?" Mikey said, and pointed up. "What are those things?"

Raph and Don took a step away from the wall and looked towards the top of the Fall. Tiny points of golden light were blinking into existence up above. Hundreds of them.

"Fireflies in Manhattan?" Don wondered.

But they didn't behave like bugs, instead they fell slowly, gently drifting down like seeds upon the wind. They settled around the brothers and coated the floor. A breeze appeared from nowhere and began to tease them together into a small, whirling form.

Slowly, the form gained height and solidified into that of man. He was majestic, tall, and muscular, his clothing ancient in design. But most remarkably, Don could see through him.

He glowed with a soft golden light, and his shoulder length hair appeared to be made of flowing flames. He stood silently for a moment, his gaze locked on the small form in Leo's lap. As the apparition moved toward him, Leo opened his eyes and met its stare. His silent tears reflected in the growing light.

"I have not felt that powerful a _Calling _in a long, long time." the figure said. It's voice echoing with power. He measured Leo with his eyes. "Centuries perhaps. But now I understand...You are one of hers."

"Hers?" Leo replied hoarsely.

"Luna's" the figure replied, gesturing to the girl still nestled in Leo's lap. "My poor, sweet daughter."

It was obvious that this being was something extremely powerful. Don could sense the controlled menace and sheer force hovering somewhere behind the figure.

It gave off a feeling of pulsating heat, but it didn't burn. And that flaming hair...what was it? Don wondered.

He began mentally compiling a list of mythic beings, trying to make this figure fit, as another part of his brain was thinking "oh shit, here we are holding his daughter's corpse."

Raph was having much the same thought, at least about the corpse, and his hands were hovering near his sai, ready to spring if this strange glowing guy made any hostile moves. Don caught his eye and gave a microscopic shake of his head.

They should not provoke an unknown entity. He didn't even look entirely here, if his luminescence and transparency were anything to go by. Their weapons might not even make contact with it.

"She had been set a task." the figure said sadly, "and she cannot return to me until it is complete. But this is not a part of her trial." He frowned. "This is the work of another. One whose jealousy mars the very air around her."

He paused, angered. "I submitted to Zeus' will regarding her exile, but on this matter I cannot. I will not let this be her ending."

"You can do that?" a voice rang out. All eyes shifted to Mikey, who quickly looked down, sheepish about his outburst. "I mean...that would be awesome." he mumbled, taking a quick glance at Leo.

Surprisingly, the being smiled at this. "One of the privileges of being a god, young one." He replied.

"Through my powers light and life come to this planet everyday. Reconnecting my daughter to her celestial lifeforce is simple enough."

"She was to be denied this during her time on the mortal plain, so I cannot restore all to her. Zeus would not allow it, but a small thread should suffice." he concluded.

Raph glanced at his brothers, mentally trying to catch up. His brain stuck on the word god. Mikey was just smiling like an idiot, and Don had a look of calculation on his face, as if classifying an unknown species of bug. Leo remained perfectly still, though hope was growing in his eyes.

"I will awaken her, and heal her life threatening injuries, but more I cannot do." the god sighed. "She will have to suffer through the rest alone." he paused.

"Or perhaps not." the god murmured, His gaze hardened, as he turned back to Leo. "You are the one that _Called _when she could not. Sol did well in finding you. I charge you now with her new existence. Guard her, for I will not be able to intervene again. "

With that puzzling remark, he held up his hand and blew gently across his palm. The familiar bluish flame that was Sol appeared there, then zipped back down to orbit around Leo's head happily, radiating a rather smug pride.

"I cannot stay. My presence here puts her journey in peril." the god said. He walked up to Leo, who gathered the girl in his arms and stood. His arms tightened around her and he refused to relinquish her to her father.

The god merely smiled, kissed the index finger of his right hand and pressed it to her forehead. There was a small flare of golden light, and he dissolved into a thousand points of light that slowly faded out. Leaving one final reverberating thought.

"I miss you, my daughter."


	11. Revelations

**Revelations**

The girl shuddered in Leo's arms, drew in a breath and groaned. But she was nowhere near consciousness. Don's mouth fell open, as Leo crouched quickly to lay her on the ground.

"Oh. My. God." Don said

"Literally" Mikey replied

They rushed to gather around the girl. Not just "the girl" any longer Don thought. Luna, daughter of a god. An ancient greek one, unless he missed his guess. And they'd just been made responsible for her safety.

Leo growled at them, low in his throat. He had a feral look in his eyes, that said he wasn't registering friend from foe right now. After the considerable shocks of the day, Don wasn't really surprised.

First the strange blue flame, then being forcibly joined emotionally with another, a psychic beating, an urgent quest, the trauma of finding her dead, and finally meeting a god who not only resurrects the dead girl, but then thrusts the responsibility of her continued safety on him.

Saner minds than Leo's would crack under such strain.

"Easy there bro," Raph spoke up raising his hand in a placating gesture. "Donnie boy just needs ta check her out and see what's still wrong."

"Don't worry Leo. Donnie can fix her now, right Don?" Mikey added.

The soothing voices of his family finally won out and Leo allowed himself to be moved a short distance away. He collapsed down on a bit of rubble, but his eyes never left the girl laid out in the dirt of the Fall floor.

Don moved in and set about assessing her as best he could in the semi-darkness. His movements were sure over her body, confident from many hours of patching up his family and friends. He frowned slightly as he categorized her numerous injuries.

True to his word, the god had healed her life threatening injuries. The broken ribs were mended, her lungs unpunctured. Her skull was intact, as well as her spine. There didn't seem to be any internal bleeding. But that was all he had done. She was still beaten, broken and bloody.

Her left cheek bone was fractured, and her left arm was useless. A large gash bled above her right eye.

She had two black eyes, and was covered in darkly swelling bruises. Various cuts, both deep and shallow still slowly oozed blood onto the ground, and both legs were broken.

Don gently ran his hands under her matted hair to check for hidden injuries, and flinched in sympathy, when his fingers found a large gash across the back of her scalp.

Finally he peeled back her eyelids and let out a shocked gasp. Her pupils were white, and the iris colorless against the pink of the broken blood vessels in the whites of her eyes.

The others contained and comforted Leo. Raph kept him in check with a firm hand, each time the girl moaned during Don's exam, and Mikey checked out Leo's own numerous injuries from the fiery whirlwind, but all eyes went to Don at his gasp.

A stunned Donatello met their gaze.

"Guys, I think she's blind."

* * *

Leonardo sat alone, slumped on a cushion next to the low shiki futon that Don had pulled into the infirmary for the girl. Don deemed her too bruised to leave on the tall stainless steel table where he usually treated injuries. Shortly thereafter came the cushion for Leo, since he refused to leave her side.

Don had dimmed the lights and left giving Leo a stern look and strict instructions for both of them to get some rest.

He really should rest, Leo thought, now that all the commotion had calmed. But he found himself unable to commit to the oblivion that sleep would provide. He greatly feared that her resurrection may not be real and he might wake to find her gone.

Gently he reached out and stroked a strand of her pale hair where it lay across her pillow. He wanted to do more, but feared touching her would cause her even more pain. She still moaned in her sleep, even though Donatello had given her a large dose of morphine.

Leo finally settled on holding her hand, lifting her least damaged right one from the bed and grasping it lightly in his own bandaged one. He tried to soothe her by rubbing his thumb gently across her palm.

"This will _never _happen again, dear one" he murmured softly. "I'll die first."

Comforted by his grip on her hand, his eyelids slid slowly closed and he sucummbed to sleep.

* * *

_You're not the only one. _Raphael thought as he watched Leo finally close his eyes from the edge of the infirmary door. He'd stationed himself there to keep an eye on them, just after Don had left the room. He heard Leo's quiet declaration and he sighed thinking back over the last few hours.

In a show of trust, Raph wasn't sure he deserved, Leo had allowed him to carry the girl back home. Most of Leo's body was covered in burns, and his great shout to the heavens had drained him of all surefit energy. He leaned heavily on Mikey the whole way back.

Upon returning, Don burst through the door and went straight to work preparing the infirmary. Raph was right behind him with the girl and Mikey brought up the rear with Leo. Don took charge and barked orders to his brothers like a general.

"Mikey, get Leo up on the table, I'll take a look at those burns. Once he's settled, call April and get her down here. I'm gonna need another pair of hands." Don snapped.

Don looked over to Raphael, who stood in the middle of the room, still holding the girl. His eyes softened.

"Raph, I need you to clean her up. I can't work on her until I can see all her injuries. Take her through the dojo and use the sluice shower to start, then put her in the tub." he said

"What?" Raph said, throwing Don a panicked look, which he quickly turned on Leo.

Raphael had absolutely no intention of being anywhere near the naked form of the daughter of a god. Especially one that Leo seemed so attached too. Don sighed.

"Leo trusted you to bring her home, It'll be ok." he said.

Raph looked again at Leo, completely zoned out in the infirmary, then turned his gaze on the quietly moaning form in his arms.

He shook his head and headed toward the dojo.


	12. Honor in Peril

**Honor in Peril**

Raphael carried her quickly through the practice room and out the back to the large overhead showers they used for cleaning up after a tromp through the sewers. There was no way he could prop her upright on her own under the shower. She wasn't even conscious and there were her broken legs to consider.

Sighing, he turned on the water at the wall and waited for it to warm a bit. Slowly he backed under the flow with her still in his arms. It wasn't the first time he'd stood under the water in all his gear, but he felt extremely uncomfortable about holding the girl there as well.

He angled her body, this way and that, trying to gently rinse off the blood, ash, dirt and gunk.

He tilted her head back and gently ran the fingers of one hand through her hair while still supporting her with the other. He watched with a sick feeling in his stomach as blood ran down the pale strands and swirled around the drain.

_He backhanded us across the face, and our head snapped back against the wall. _ Leo's voice came back to him. _Blood ran down the back of our head, from our split lip, and the cut above our eye. _

Now, as he stared at the results of that account, Raphael couldn't stop the rage and pity that was building inside him. She was a tiny little thing, quite pretty under all the grime and bruises, and she felt as fragile as spun glass in his arms. No way had she deserved this.

Raph closed his eyes and forced himself to focus. His shaking rage wasn't helping her now. He took a cloth from the pile nearby and began wiping as gently as he could at the crusted blood and tear marks on her face.

When her face was relatively clean, he gently shifted her body until he was holding her upright, facing away from him. He wrapped his right arm carefully around her waist, across her chest to her left shoulder. He supported her weight by pressing her back against his chest.

His left hand reached out for hers.

_Careful_, he reminded himself. _Don said this arm was shattered_.

Raphael intertwined his fingers between hers and supported the whole length of her arm with his own. He frowned as he raised it toward the flow of water. With the grime rinsing away, he could have sworn that her skin started softly glowing.

Not like her father's, he thought, not golden. No, this looked more like moonlight.

She moaned, and he flinched, mentally berating himself. Now was not the time to be ogling her fair skin. He carefully shifted her into his other arm and repeated his supported washing motion, in case that arm was damaged as well.

Finally he decided that was as clean as they were going to get under the shower. He backed out and shut off the water. Grabbing a towel off the bench, he wrapped it awkwardly around her with one hand to keep off the chill.

As he scooped her back up and prepared to take her back across the dojo, he paused, staring down at her.

_I'm probably never going to have a chance to hold a girl like this again_, he thought.

It made him incredibly sad, and he held her a little closer. He gazed at her, with such tenderness that his brother's would have been shocked.

"Don't worry, little one." he said quietly with a slightly sick, twisted smile. "You deserve so much better than me. You'll love Leo."

_But I'll always be standing by to protect you. _ He finished in his head.

* * *

Raph was incredibly relieved to find April in the front room, surely she could do the next half of the washing. She nodded to him as he approached.

"Donnie said you'd need help," she smiled with a knowing look, and led the way down the hall to the bathroom. She'd already filled the tub with lukewarm water and as soon as Raph entered with the girl she angled the door closed with her foot. She turned to him and carefully assessed the situation.

Raph was definitely flustered, his face was flushed, and he kept looking around the room, not meeting April's eyes.

"It's ok, Raph" April said gently. "You're much too honorable for me to think you'd been anything less than a gentleman."

He could meet her eyes then.

April removed the the towel draped over the girl and considered her clothes. She went to the counter and returned quickly with a pair of scissors.

Raph reacted instantly and instinctively to the sudden appearance of this 'weapon'. He gave a shout of alarm and whipped himself around, placing his shell between April and the girl.

In less than 2 seconds Mike and Don were beating on the door.

"It's alright!" April called loudly, "Raph just had a little scare."

April chuckled and held her position on the other side of the room, scissors still in hand. She knew better than to approach a ninja who'd just been startled. The results could be painful.

"We have to get her out of those clothes, Raph." She said, just a hint of rebuke in her voice.

Raph look back at her sheepishly. "Sorry, April. It's been a hell of a day."

She shrugged it off, completely at ease with the high strung nature of her friends.

"Ready for me now?" she asked.

Raph nodded and April approached once again with the scissors. Angling them carefully, she started cutting the girl's shorts off. Raph looked away. Anywhere, but at what she was doing.

"Do ya think she'll be mad about the clothes?" He asked to distract himself.

"I can guarantee you, she will never want to see this outfit again." April replied, moving on to the girl's tank top. As she removed clothes, April carefully covered the girl's body with more towels for Raph's continued peace of mind.

"Ok, Raph, just put her in the bathtub, towels and all." April said. He looked at her funny, but leaned down and carefully placed the girl in the water.

"Thanks. You should go clean up yourself now. You're covered in ash. I'll call one of the other guys to get her out when I'm done."

"Nuh uh." He said. "I'll just rinse off and be right back."

Raphael rocketed back to showers and cleaned up in record time. He washed himself and his gear, then stopped by his room to pick up his spare mask, belt and pads.

He oiled his weapons and was armed, standing sentry front of the bathroom door, long before April stuck her head out and said the girl was ready to move.

He ferried her towel wrapped form to the infirmary and laid her carefully on the table. Leo looked up from a chair in the corner, well bandaged and definitely more alert. Some semblance of his usual calm finally showed on his face.

"Thanks for taking care of her Raphael" he said. Raph ducked his head and beat a hasty retreat.


	13. Asked and Answered

**Asked and Answered**

Donatello had done the best he could for the girl. It took ages, even with April's help, to bind Luna's wounds and get her stitched up. Once he had all the open wounds under control, Don had given the girl some morphine so he could set her broken bones. She'd still screamed when he pulled her legs straight.

That sound was going to haunt his dreams for a while. Not that he was going to be able to sleep anytime soon. Whatever trouble Luna was in had been thrust upon his family and Don needed facts to prepare a response.

Now he was back in the lab, reviewing the footage from the spy copter Raph recovered and trying to make sense of the evenings events. Don rewound the footage to Raph and Leo's arrival, and watched it again. He winced when Leo discovered the body, but forced himself to keep watching.

As the video progressed and Leo began to scream in earnest, Sol suddenly appeared on screen. In it's regular form Sol was not even bright enough to pick up on camera, but the brilliant flame it became when it finally understood the meaning of Leo's screams was incredible. Don watched in awe as the recording played back the gigantic whirlwind of blue fire that consumed the Fall.

The roar of the wind was too much for Don to make out what Leo actually said during the next part, and Raph hadn't recognized the language. Don sighed, wishing he'd been there. That phrase could have been an important clue, but Leo didn't remember it.

Time to try another tack. Don dug through the clothes that April had removed from the girl, and found what he'd been hoping for in her back pocket. A thin, rather beat up wallet with a New York id, and a couple of bucks in cash. He studied her id carefully.

Name: Luna Heliades

Age: 27

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Blue

What the... Eyes blue? Well they certainly weren't now. Don wondered if that was an effect of being reconnected to her "celestial life force" as the god called it. Don quickly googled her address and was surprised to discover it was a shelter on the east side of town. Hmm.

Next he hacked into the police network and ran a background check. Not a lot to work with there. No criminal record, at least not in the tri-state area. A credit check was next, but she didn't even seem to have a report. In desperation he finally googled her name outright.

Here was something, a public interest piece in the local online paper from a year ago. The article was welcoming Luna to the staff at the shelter and declaring her their new PR person. The piece went on to say that Luna had overcome many challenges, and with help from the shelter, had risen from homeless on the street to a productive member of society.

Typical PR bullshit, he thought and was about to close his browser when he saw another search result, this one a hit on her last name 'Heliades'.

**HELIADES**: Nymph Daughters of the Sun | Greek mythology

Don stared at the entry for a long moment. 'Daughters of the sun' ?

_Through my powers light and life come to this planet everyday. _ The god had said. Don quickly clicked on the link and read avidly.

THE HELIADES were seven nymph daughters of the sun-god Helios and Clymene the Oceanid. When their brother Phaethon was struck from the chariot of the sun by Zeus, they gathered around his smoky grave on the banks of the River Eridanos and in their unrelenting grief were transformed into poplar-trees and their tears into golden amber.

Luna certainly wasn't a tree, and her name wasn't one of the seven listed on the page, but the Greek gods were not known for monogamy, Don thought. She could well have had a different goddess or even a human for a mother. But the evidence was piling up that her father was Helios, God of the Sun.

Don only knew the basics of Greek mythology, but it was enough to worry him. The gods always seemed to hold grudges against one another, and Helios had implied that Luna was sent here as some sort of punishment.

He had also said, there was another 'jealous' force determined to destroy her. Don sighed. How did they get into this mess?

It seemed that the only way out, was to question the girl about the conditions of her punishment. Once she had fulfilled her task could she leave this plane and return to her own. It was the only way to free his family from her burdens.

And where did Sol fit into this little puzzle? Maybe the girl wasn't awake, but Leo had spoken to Sol. Perhaps Don could question him as well.

Don left the lab and crossed quietly to the infirmary where Raph was on guard.

"Are they awake?" He paused beside Raphael to ask.

"Nah." Raph said quietly, "Leo's been out for a while and she's just moaning."

Don placed a hand on Raph's shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "You did good today bro. I never thought to see Leo bested for self-control of all things, but you really kept it under wraps. I'm proud of you."

Raph felt the blood rushing to his face. Donnie was proud of him?

While Raphael cared for all his brothers, he'd always put Donatello up on a pedestal. Don was all the things Raph wanted to be. Smart, strong, caring without seeming weak, and able to handle any situation.

That Don was proud of him… He didn't know what to say.

Don chuckled to see his normally quick witted brother speechless and went to check on his patients. Luna was still out. Her body was so traumatized that Don didn't expect her to wake for several days, if not a week.

Leo had slumped down next to her on the futon and was snoring softly. Don checked that he wasn't resting on any of his burns, and then let him lie. The person, or thing, he was really here to see was Sol.

The little blue flame was settled in between Luna's head and Leo's, and was giving off a soothing glow that pulsed every once in a while, like a quiet heartbeat. Don stared at it for a while. He wasn't quite sure how to address the little thing. Finally, he whispered "Sol?"

Sol hovered up a few inches in response and glowed a little more strongly. Don took this as a good sign.

"Could we talk for a bit?" Don asked, keeping his voice low.

Sol flared, then hovered first over Luna, then Leo in a meaningful way.

"They'll be all right here." Don said, sensing what Sol was worried about. "Raphael is on guard. No one will get past him."

Sol paused, as if considering this, then floated gently past Don and Raph out into the hall. Raph looked on curiously as Don cleared his throat, feeling a little ridiculous about his plan to talk to a flame, but he pressed on.

"So, Sol" he began, "Have you known Luna a long time?"

A quiet tinkling laugh chimed down the hall.

_yes. _

It came from everywhere. Don's eyes widened and he looked to Raph.

"Did you hear that?" Don asked. Raph just nodded, his eyes as big as saucers. Don turned back to Sol.

"So, um, is she a goddess?" Don asked

_yes. no. yes._

Don and Raph exchanged another look.

"Which is it?" Raph said.

But Don was thinking hard. "Helios said she'd been set a task and placed on the mortal plane, cut off from her celestial life force."

"Who's Helios?" Raph interrupted him.

"Golden, glowing Sun God? Bring's people back to life. Ring any bells?" Don teased.

"You've been hanging out with Mikey too much Don" Raph said with smirk.

"Then her mortal body died," Don continued, as if he'd never been interrupted, "and Helios gave her back a connection to her powers. So I guess the answer would be, yes she was a goddess, then she was human, and now goddess again?" Don turned back to Sol, "Well at least partially since she's still trapped in an injured human body."

_yes._

Raph was staring at Don. "I really don't understand how ya mind works, bro."

But Don was already moving on to his next question.

"Do you know what her task is?" Don asked.

_Sol._

Ok, that was a little tougher. Don pondered for a few minutes.

"You're her task?" he asked finally.

_yes. no._

"You are one frustrating little flame, ya know dat?" Raph said. "Why won't ya give us a straight answer?"

There was a flare and Don got the distinct impression Sol was frustrated as well.

_Can't! _

It replied a little louder than usual. Don just sighed.

"Can ya show me? Da' way ya showed da' girl to Leo?" Raph blurted.

"Raph, you saw what happened before. We can't afford to have you out of commision now." Don interrupted. "Besides, it looks as if that communication bound Leo to her in some way."

Don continued his thoughts aloud, oblivious to Raph's irritated glare.

_Some of us wouldn't mind that. _ Raph thought, but instead said "Maybe he can do it without dat stuff."

They both turned back toward Sol. It's light had dimmed a bit, as if disappointed.

_only blue._

Don sighed. It could only show things to Leo, so they were back to 20 questions.

"You're obviously connected to her in some way," Don mused. "What are you to her?"

_Sol_

"Great! Dat helps." Raph groused.

Don's eyes narrowed. "You are her Sol?" he tried out the words in that order.

"Her _soul_!" he breathed.

_yes. no._

"Part of her soul then?" Don asked excitedly. Now they were getting somewhere.

_yes._

"Ok, so you are part of her soul. And she has to find all the parts?" Don continued.

_yes. _

"Who can break a soul?" Raph interrupted again, "I thought they were rather intangible things."

"Did you just use the word 'intangible'? Who are you and what have you done to my brother Raph," Don said.

"Ha-ha. Da question?" Raph turned an expectant look on Sol.

Sol gave a little bob. The flame equivalent of a shrug Don thought.

_Zeus_

Oh this was not good. Luna was in trouble with the king of the gods.


	14. Open Your Eyes

**Open Your Eyes**

_Give me a sign…_ Leo begged mentally, sitting besides Luna's still form. He had hardly left her side in the week since he'd found her at the bottom of the Fall. Only when Don and Raph physically evicted him, struggling, from the infirmary did he even think about needs like food and rest.

It had taken Leo three days to fully recover from the burns and exhaustion he suffered. He, like all the turtles, had an accelerated healing factor. But he hadn't resumed any of his normal routines. Training and patrols didn't interest him as long as she was unconscious.

He spent most of his time next to her in meditation, trying to send her some of his strength, and silently begging forgiveness for not being able to keep this disaster from her. Sometimes he even forgot that she wouldn't know who he was when she did wake up.

"If I could turn back time, I'd undo all this pain. Keep you safe…" he murmured.

_Make you mine._ His mind added.

Leo glanced guiltily at his constant companion in this vigil. Not certain if Sol could hear his thoughts if there was no physical contact.

Sol had stayed nearby during the whole ordeal and could inevitably be found hovering over one or both of them. But it always went with Leo whenever he was kicked out of the infirmary. It would follow him chirping and making small motions of encouragement, until Leo ate and rested a bit before returning to Luna's side.

Donatello had shared Sol's startling revelations with Leo, and they had him more than a little worried. How was he going to protect Luna when so much power was in play? And worse, he had dragged his family, those he had already sworn to protect, into this mess with him.

Leo had tried to get Sol to give him more details on Luna's predicament, but the little one just got frustrated. It wanted to 'show' him things, but Don had forbidden it except as a last resort. Don was already concerned about Leo's sudden emotional attachment to Luna. He didn't want it to deepen any further until they had this situation sorted out.

Leonardo already knew it wouldn't matter if Sol touched him again or not. His mind, body, and soul were already bound to her.

Unable to obtain true peace, he dropped his meditative pose, and gazed sadly at her beautiful face. The bruising had faded around her eyes and some of the lesser cuts had healed. Her bones had even begun to knit. Don had said this was faster than normal human healing. Leo hoped that his energy was the reason.

He sighed and raised his hand toward her soft cheek, but the sight of his green, three fingered hand against her pale skin bothered him, and he dropped his palm. She was a goddess. Literally. He was a monster, not even a lowly human. Completely unworthy of her.

_Wake up!_ His heart pleaded. _Just let me see the life come back to your face. I need to hear your voice, your laugh, memorize your smile! I'm going to make it right somehow. I swear it._

* * *

Luna came back to herself slowly. She felt terrible. Weak. Sick. Everything ached.

Pain! Yes, there was definitely still pain, but it was different. It was the pain of healing, not of breaking.

The pressure that had squeezed the last bit of breath out of her lungs had ceased. The weight that had crushed her arm and legs was gone. She could no longer feel the terrible draining weakness of blood pouring into her chest. Her head hurt and her scalp felt tight, but it was no longer broken and bleeding.

Having taken stock of her body, she pushed her senses further out. She did it without thought, as naturally as breathing, sensing life around her. She stopped, shocked, and pulled her power back. She hadn't been able to reach outside herself since her exile.

She dove back inside, down deep to her core to locate the source of this change. Two small glittering threads, had been woven back into the empty space at the center of her being.

One was golden, feeding her life, and she recognized her father's essence immediately. It connected her to a trickle of her own lost power. The second was unfamiliar but calm and solid. It was deep blue and fed her weakened body strength.

Confused, she surfaced to her skin and began taking stock of her environment. Luna didn't bother to open her eyes. Without Sol, she couldn't see anyway.

Instead she reached inside for that trickle of power and sent it out to the air currents of the room. A breeze gently began to pass over her skin, and as she mentally whispered questions, the breeze brought answers.

That she lay in a place of safety, she did not doubt. Comfort, warmth and healing energy flowed from all around. Four pillars of power supported this sanctuary and Luna began to wonder if some of her immortal cousins had taken pity and defied Zeus to save her.

Then more mundane scents made themselves known to her. Antiseptic, bleach, soap, a sterilized environment. Not her family then she thought disappointed. But still, powerful beings dwelt here.

Scents of sandalwood and musk swirled nearby, and mixed with the sense of solidarity and comfort. One of these beings was responsible for the dark blue thread, and it was sitting right next to her.

* * *

Sol was restless, Leo thought. It was more active now than it had been all week during their vigil, and he wondered about the change. But this was just a brief distraction from the girl in front of him. He turned his eyes back to her face and gasped.

"Donnie!" He called, slightly panicked. Her face, in fact all her exposed skin, had begun to glow softly in the dim light.

Don lept from the balcony in front of his bedroom door to the floor of the living area, and made the door of the infirmary in two strides. Raphael was right behind him since he had taken to sleeping on the couch, just to be nearby.

Mikey stuck his head out of the kitchen and trotted over to see what was up.

Don quickly strode over to his patient, noting that color was returning to her cheeks and that she was breathing more evenly.

"What is it Leo?" He asked, keeping his voice low for the sleeping girl.

"She…she's glowing" Leo said softly in awe.

Raph and Mikey stopped in the doorway blocking the light that had been streaming in from the living quarters, and Don could suddenly see the pale white glow around her sleeping form.

"Maybe that means she's gonna wake up soon, bros." Mikey said happily.

His brothers had all been way too serious and moping around since they'd brought their latest friend home. Sure she'd been pretty badly injured, but Mikey had great faith that the huge glowing dude, and his genius brother, would be able to fix it all.

Mikey had been trying his best to keep the others spirits high, but the atmosphere had begun to dim even his bright outlook. He smiled his beaming grin now, thinking about how great it was going to be to have a new friend in the house. Outside of Casey and April, the brothers trusted few humans enough to really call them friends.

"Ok guys," Don said. "If she is gonna wake soon, let's not overwhelm her with all of us at once. We'll give her some time with Leo and see how she reacts. I'll stay nearby, but out of site. Raph and Mikey, you two stay out until we think she's ready."

Mikey grumbled that if she was blind, she couldn't see them anyway, but they both nodded. Past introductions to humans had not always gone so well, and the girl was still injured. Silently they filed out.

Luna drew her power back. She had too little to squander it at this moment. She would let the slow trickle pool inside until she needed it. She already felt stronger. The power flowing in on that blue thread was speeding her healing. But it was time to get moving again.

Luna was drawn by a powerful curiosity as well. Who were these powerful ones that they could so defy the gods without fear? Carefully, so as not to upset her injuries further, Luna came back to herself. She flexed her arms and legs but moaned in pain. The bones were mending, but she wasn't going to be on her feet anytime soon.

The presence beside her had not yet moved, or spoke, and tired of waiting, Luna finally opened her eyes, even though she knew she could not see. At least it was a signal she was awake.

There was a sharp intake of breath. Luna knew her eyes were startling this way. White pupils and crystal clear iris were not normal for a human. She sighed softly, and cleared her throat.

"Thank you for saving me" she said.

Leonardo gasped again. Her voice was the most beautiful he had ever heard. It was bell like, and resonated with just the slightest hint of power. Something Leo was fast learning to associate with the gods.

Luna waited a bit for a response, and when none was forthcoming, she tried again.

"I don't know how you did it, but thank you." she said

Leo was at a loss for words. For a week he'd been begging her to wake up. Now that she was, he was afraid of saying the wrong thing. Freaking her out. Losing her. He shook his head. What happened to the one his brother's called 'fearless'?

"Don't worry, you are safe here." he said, worriedly, dodging her implied question.

Luna would have smiled at his anxious tone, but her face hurt too much, so she settled for just a quirk of her lips.

"That I do not doubt" She said formally. "Did my father send you?"

It was the only thing she could think would make even powerful beings such as these stand against a god.

"Send me? Uh, no. Not really." Leo replied

"Then how did you find me?" She wondered aloud.

"Sol found me." Leo said cautiously. "It… found me in a tunnel, and asked for help. It showed me you were in danger." He reached out and gently took her good hand, happy that she did not flinch away from his touch.

"Sol?!" she exclaimed. "Sol are you here?"

At her cry, Sol left off happily orbiting Leo's head and went to hover over Luna. She freed her hand from Leo's grip and raised it unerringly to the little flame. It settled itself happily into her palm, and made a little chirping cry that was part glad greeting and part purr.

"I'm so happy you're here, my friend." She said. Then her tone became extremely formal.

"Little one, will you join with me again and lend me your sight once more?"

Sol gave another happy chirp and zipped to float above her head. Slowly, it began to unravel it's form, like a piece of soft blue string that lowered until it touched the top of Luna's head. As it's blue light began to drain down into Luna, her crystal clear eyes shimmered, and filled from the bottom with Sol's light.

A moment later Sol faded out completely and the light in Luna's eyes dimmed to a normal human blue.


	15. Unusual Surroundings

**Unusual Surroundings**

Leonardo watched Luna closely as she looked around the infirmary where she lay. Her beautiful, now blue, eyes flitted from one thing to another, taking it all in. The tall stainless steel table in the center of the room. The counter built up against the wall. The shoji screen dividers. The futon where she lay.

At last she turned her gaze on Leo. Leonardo closed his eyes, wished he could fade into the darkness around him, and waited for the screaming to begin. He stayed motionless, desperately afraid she would injure herself further trying to get away from him if he moved.

While he had believed her blind, he had let himself hope that he would be able to be close to her. That he could keep secret exactly how different he and his brothers were. That hope turned to ashes the moment he realized, that with Sol's help, she could see. Now, he did not want to meet her gaze and see fear in those beautiful eyes.

Luna's eyes widened as she took in the appearance of the being beside her, but otherwise she kept her thoughts to herself. Truly she hadn't expected anything human. The power levels she felt from these beings were way too strong.

Besides, as a former goddess, she was already well aware that there were many things residing on Earth that were neither human or animal. She had met a number of them in the ancient days, and had nothing but respect for their courage.

Living among the barbarian hordes that made up the masses of humanity took skill and discipline. Humans of the present day were so egotistical, they called these powerful beings 'monsters' and relegated them to the realm of fairy tales.

What did surprise her was the fact that he was mortal. The amount of energy he was feeding her injured body was so immense she couldn't quite believe it. She sent just a tendril of her own power back to him to verify it. Yes, definitely mortal.

Obviously he was used to an adverse reaction to his appearance. He whole body projected sad determination, and he hadn't opened his eyes, so she took the opportunity to study him carefully.

His form was unique, based on that of a terrapin crossed with a human. It was hard to tell from her prone position, and it didn't help that he was kneeling, but she judged his height to be about 5' 10". He was extremely well proportioned and muscular, with smooth, creamy dark jade skin.

For some reason, she found herself wondering what his skin felt like. The thought made her feel warm and shivery inside.

His back was covered by a dark protective shell and his chest armored in light tan plates, both of which were marked with chips and scratches. These scars spoke of many battles with edged weapons, yet she didn't sense any aggressiveness from him. If anything he hovered rather protectively over her, projecting an air of serenity and calm.

He wore a few human accessories. A belt with several carry pouches, some protective gear and a weapons harness of some sort, which was currently empty. He also wore a blue mask over his eyes, and Luna wondered if that was for obscurity or identity.

Overall, she thought him quite a handsome creature. His expressive face held a cool confidence that showed, even in his distressed state. He matched the feeling of the blue thread inside her perfectly, and she felt drawn to him in a way she had not experienced before.

For one thing, she was extremely grateful to him. Somehow this lovely, expressive creature had managed to summon her father and redeem her life. It was a debt she was never going to be able to repay. But what she felt was more than simple gratitude.

Even in her injured state, looking at him stirred feelings within her that she thought long discarded.

Finally she could take the silence no longer. He deserved to know who and what he had rescued, and he needed to know about the dangers of sheltering her.

"I am known as Luna Heliades, daughter of Helios, Master of the Sun and Selene, Mistress of the Moon. May I have the pleasure of your name?" She said formally.

Startled, Leo opened his eyes. He already knew who she was, but he had never met anyone who was not first shocked, then disgusted, by his appearance. Oh, other humans had befriended them eventually. The disgust and feelings of wrongness wore away with time and repetition. But none of their friends, not even April, had met his eyes and instantly accepted him for what he was.

Stunned, he rose and bowed automatically in response to her formal tone. She had never seen anyone move as gracefully as he did.

"I am Hamato Leonardo, first son of Hamato Yoshi, our Master Splinter, and head of my clan." he replied.

She smiled and winced slightly as that caused pain in her face, but the smile reached all the way to her eyes, warming and lighting them from within.

She actually smiled at me, Leo thought, no screaming, no panicked attempts to escape.

"I am honored Leonardo. I owe you and your clan a tremendous debt. May I know the others of your family?" She inquired. "Sol speaks highly of them."

Leonardo exchanged a glance with Donatello, who had stayed out of sight across the room, but had watched Luna's assessment with interest. Don came around the stainless table and bowed as well.

"I am Hamato Donatello, third son of Hamato Yoshi." Don said.

She nodded gracefully in reply. This one was similar in appearance to his brother, but wore accessories and weapons of a different color and character. The masks were mostly for identity then, she thought. But there were slight differences in skin coloration as well.

"Sol tells me that you are the one I should thank for tending my remaining wounds. Thank you, Donatello, my debt extends to you as well." she said.

While Don was introducing himself, Leo went to the door and motioned to Michelangelo to come inside. Leo simply couldn't believe how well she was taking things. He watched as her covertly as Mikey made his way in the door.

"Go easy on her," Leo warned his brother.

Mikey just grinned at Leo. He forwent the formal bow his training dictated and instead flamboyantly dropped to one knee saying, " Hamato Michelangelo, at your service beautiful goddess lady!"

Leo frowned, but Luna laughed lightly. It was the most melodic sound Leo had ever heard.

This, Luna thought, was definitely the youngest of the family. His orange accessories suited him to a 'T', and his innocence and optimism washed over her like a tidal wave. She rejoiced to see such joy in their world.

"I am honored to meet you Michelangelo. Sol tells me you are most amusing, and have made waiting for me to awaken much more pleasant. I look forward to experiencing that myself." she said

Mikey grinned, rose to his feet, and elbowed Don. "You hear that?" he smirked "I'm already her favorite!"

Don just rolled his eyes. "Go make our guest some of Sensei's healing tea, and tell Raph to come in." he said.

"No problem, bro" Mikey said and headed out the door.

Raph entered so quickly, Leo suspected he had been lurking outside the door. He crossed to Luna's side and bowed as formally as Mikey had not.

"I am Hamato Raphael, second son of Hamato Yoshi." He said. Leo waited for the snide remark that was sure to follow, but was surprised yet again. Raphael smiled, one of his rare unguarded smiles, and said, "It's great to see you awake."

Don shooed everyone out then, insisting that even Leo needed to leave and get some rest. Then he brought in Mikey's tea from the kitchen and propped Luna up carefully so she could drink. He had a few questions he wanted answered.

"I know you're probably hungry," he said, "but let's start with this. My Master has been treating us with it since we were little, it has great healing properties."

Luna smiled and accepted the cup with her good hand.

"Thank you, Donatello. Your family has been generous to take me in at such great risk." She said.

"And what exactly are the risks, my lady?" Don probed lightly, stumbling only a little over the correct term of address to use with a goddess. He wondered if the information he had gleaned so far was accurate, and if she would be forthcoming with the truth.

"I will not lie, Donatello, the risks are indeed great. Though not, perhaps, as great as you fear." She frowned. "Sol tells me he was unable to share with you many details of what has occurred, but you and your family should be aware of what sheltering me may mean."

She quietly sipped her tea for a time before she continued.

"Do you know much of the gods of the ancient peoples, Donatello?" she asked.

"I have some knowledge of human accounts from the time. I understand your father drives the sun chariot across the sky each day?" Don said.

Luna's musical laugh trilled out again. It felt terribly familiar to Don. For some reason, it reminded him of Sol's giggle the other day, before Luna awoke.

"That is a very poetic interpretation of his responsibilities, equated to the knowledge of technology and power the Greeks had at the time. But I think you'd like a more scientific explanation, would you not?" she inquired.

Donatello's eyes lite up.

"I would love to hear all about it after you have recovered somewhat," Don said "But I think the pressing issue is the peril you find yourself currently in, and those causing it."

Luna sighed, but nodded while taking another soothing sip from her tea. It was the most interesting tea she had ever tasted, and it was reviving her more than any natural tea should. On her next sip, she sampled it gently with her newly restored senses.

Not surprisingly, she found it bound about with power. It had threads of color that matched all four of these turtle beings, but at the core of it she found a deep and abiding strand of green, which the other threads wound about. Love was holding it all together. Intriguing.

"I am here in this mortal form because I am in exile." Luna admitted. "I take full responsibility for the actions that led me to this fate, and I'm afraid I would do it again. But though my exile was meant as punishment it was never meant to be deadly, merely arduous, difficult, and painful."

Don was burning with questions after that quiet statement. Her response indicated honor and acceptance of her punishment, but he couldn't imagine what she might have done to warrant banishment. However, at the moment he couldn't afford to be distracted from the main point.

"So, who is trying to kill you?" Donatello asked gently.

"I am uncertain as to the exact person at this time, Donatello." She replied. "Unfortunately, I have many enemies, both mortal and immortal. It could be any one of them, taking advantage of my exile to remove me permanently."

Donatello considered her words. Mortal opponents, as she put it, could probably be easily handled. Immortals he wasn't so confident about. Perhaps he and his brothers could help her complete her task quickly. Surely when she regained all her power, she would be able to defend herself.

Luna was quiet for a few moments, and Don worried that he was tiring her out, but before he could suggest they continue the conversation later, she suddenly asked,

"Your brother, Leonardo, he is the one who Called my father?"

"You could say that," Don said quietly. "It was more like, he demanded a response for your suffering."

Her eyes widened, surprised that anyone would dare demand anything from her father. But Don refused to say anymore about it. She didn't need to cope with anymore trauma. He settled her back on the futon and took her cup.

"You should rest." Don said. "I'll be nearby if you need anything."

He watched her quietly as she settled into the futon and prepared for sleep. She pressed her good hand onto her forehead, made a peculiar gesture with her fingers, and began to hum a soft tune. A small blue glow began to escape her forehead, and in mere moments, Sol had reformed and flitted out of the infirmary searching for Leo.

Don had begun to leave as well, but turned back with one last question he could no longer restrain.

"Luna," he said quietly, "Why were you exiled?"

She did not turn to face him, and he had to lean in close to hear her soft reply.

"I saved a child."


	16. Sollace

**Sollace**

Leonardo lay on his bed watching the shadows and patterns of light the candles were making on the ceiling. It was very late, but he could not bring himself to contemplate sleep. Every time he dozed off he saw the same thing, the brutal rape of the girl who had come to mean everything to him.

He had screamed himself, and practically the whole household, awake more times than he could count in the last 3 weeks. He hadn't had a solid 8 hours sleep since Luna opened her eyes.

Daytime didn't bring any relief either. Leo had always been sensitive to the feelings of his brothers. Master Splinter had been training him to hone that skill for years, but now, overnight, that sensitivity had been magnified a thousandfold.

He felt every emotion around him. Donatello's worry about Luna's recovery and the danger she represented for their family. Mikey's blinding happiness to have a new friend. Poor Mikey suffered the most from their enforced isolation, but now Leo could feel that suffering rolling off his brother, replaced with overwhelming joy in a new companion.

He also felt Raphael's intense attraction to the girl, as well as Raph's determination to quash it for Leo's own sake. But perhaps worst of all was Don's pity, as he watched it all play out.

Where had this extra sense come from? Don had postulated that it was triggered by his connection to Luna, or perhaps by his call to the god Helios. Leo just wished it would go away. The only person whose feelings he was interested in was Luna, but from her he received nothing.

Was she still hurting? Was she quietly suffering from the trauma of her attack? He couldn't believe that she wasn't, since the mere memory was enough to bring him screaming awake night after night. The attack had been brutal and humiliating, and Leo wished with all his heart that he could take that painful memory from her.

Since he couldn't really tell how she felt about him, he resorted to ignoring her during the daylight hours. Her unusual acceptance of his family had thrown off his perceptions of the world. But he still couldn't bring himself to hope she could ever want him.

He shouldn't want her. As soon as she met the conditions of her exile, she would go back to the sky and have her choice of gods chasing after her.

Leonardo finally abandoned his bed as a lost cause, and padded silently across the room to his desk. He took out some of the fragile parchment paper he used for writing poetry, wet his brush, thinned his ink, and began composing. Slowly and carefully he painted the kanji symbols in the hopes that putting his emotions on paper might help him understand.

_Echos of light, bring me peace.  
__Cleanse me of these desires.  
__Dreams and nightmares born of her,  
__igniting chaotic fires._

_Must I ever walk in darkness?  
__Can she not light my way?  
__I am undeserving, but would  
__she even stay?_

_Captured and no longer free,  
__I'm bound by soul and heart.  
__Hers to command, if she has need  
__and yet she will depart._

_When she goes, then I would die.  
__and for her, I would kill.  
__Hope is lost, and darkness nie  
__to lie in ever still._

As Leo re-read the parchment in his hand, tears began to well up in his eyes. How he wished his Master was here to talk this through. Leo was no longer sure of his direction and the chains he felt around his heart were agonizingly tight. He could not talk to his brothers. They were depending on his leadership while their Master was away.

Devastated all over again, Leo threw himself back into bed, and blew out the candle. It took mere moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but he realized something was missing. Sol.

Leo had come to depend on the gentle blue glow of his little companion to soothe the ache of self imposed loneliness. Inevitably, Sol came to his room after Luna was asleep and didn't need him to help her see. Sol was his continued connection to her, but tonight he was alone.

* * *

Donatello knocked quietly on the door to the infirmary to see if Luna was still awake. It was late, but Don thought she might open up to him more in the quiet hours of the night. In the past few weeks, he had not pressed for further answers regarding her exile. Her quiet statement had been offered with no further elaboration.

But his observations of her and their conversations over those few weeks had convinced him that she was entirely good and more than worthy of their help. He also suspected she was harboring some extremely traumatic emotions, and in the absence of their Master, supposed that he should be the one to try talking them out with her.

Then there was the matter of Leo. Don was sure that the emotional link Leo was experiencing, went both ways. He had noted Luna's longing looks, whenever Leo passed by, and Leo's refusal to spend time with her, was depressing her spirits and stunting her metal healing.

"Please Donatello, come in." Luna said.

She was already dressed and in bed, wearing nothing but a long t-shirt borrowed from April, but she had seen his anxiety growing the last few days, and she was glad that he had finally come to talk to her about it. Instinctively, she knew it was going to be about Leonardo.

Luna found her heart racing these days whenever she glimpsed the head of the clan. Even when he was just crossing in front of her door. But he hadn't come back in to see her, at least, not while she was awake. Sol reported that sometimes he came down at night and spent hours at her side.

Don waffled around at the edge of the room, trying to decide how to approach what surely a delicate subject.

"Is something troubling you, Donatello?" she gently prodded.

She had quickly learned to read the signs of concern on his face. His eyebrow ridges had a tendency to push up together in the center of his forehead, and his mouth flattened out in a severe line. He sighed quietly and came to kneel beside her bed on the floor of the infirmary.

"I know you are recovering well physically," he began, "but I need to ask, how are you feeling day to day?"

Luna blinked. This was not a question she had been expecting. She considered her reply carefully before answering. She did not want him to think her ungrateful for his around the clock assistance.

"Despite your most tender care Donatello, I must admit that the days are hard." She closed her eyes, and terrifying images flashed before her. Her lips thinned in pain. "But I would not burden you, and yours, even further with my thoughts. I have already brought far too many troubles to your clan."

"Luna," Donatello replied gently "You are no longer alone in this exile. Your time with us has been enlightening and the motives for your actions, honorable. We have pledged to help you, and I would help you with this as well, if I can. Have you been sleeping?"

"Yes." she said simply.

Each time she closed her eyes, she expected to be traumatized by the events of her death and redemption, but strangely, she'd been sleeping through the night. This undisturbed rest was speeding her physical healing, and she suspected this was Leonardo's doing. She knew he was still sending her his strength. She could feel it flowing in during the night.

"I believe Leonardo may be responsible." She continued, surprising Don.

"Hmm. That could explain a few things" Don said.

He suddenly wore the very intense look he sometimes got when they were discussing the more metaphysical aspects of gods and science.

"Has he mentioned the empathic abilities he's acquired since you came to be with us?"

Luna shook her head.

"All of you have some pretty powerful latent talents." she said, startling Don again. "They will come out eventually, but I believe that Leonardo's contact with my soul," she paused and a slight blush crossed her face, "may have opened that channel in his mind more quickly. He has not come to discuss it with me, but I can feel it's power."

"I'm afraid he's experiencing some trouble from it." Don sighed. "He locks himself away most of the day. He's not eating, he hasn't slept. He wakes us all in the night screaming." he said

Luna paled and frowned, thinking hard. She consulted briefly, internally, with Sol.

_You're supposed to be watching him! Why didn't you tell me?_ she demanded.

_luna is sick._ Sol replied. _leo is helping._

_He's syphoning my nightmares, isn't he?_ Luna asked.

_leo is HELPING._ Sol replied more firmly.

Don waited through her silence. He had become used to these silent conversations she held with Sol. Luna eyes narrowed and abruptly she asked,

"Do you think I am ok to move around now?"

Don considered that for a few moments.

"If you were human, you'd have to be off your feet for a few more months." he replied "but you're healing at a phenomenal rate. The bones are pretty far along, so if you need to move around a bit, that would probably be ok. What did you have in mind?" he asked.

"A solution for Leonardo." She said.

When Donatello helped Luna upstairs to Leo's room, Leo was once again being tortured in the grip of a nightmare.

"Nooo" he murmured, writhing in his sleep "Get away from her!"

Don's sigh, as he helped Luna to the bed, made it clear that this was all too typical a state for Leonardo these days. But he didn't try to wake Leo, Don merely settled Luna gently by his side and quietly left.

Luna sat still and regarded him for a few moments. She smiled slightly to see him sleeping "weapons ready." As if had just thrown himself at the bed ready for an all out battle to get some rest. The only concession he had made toward peaceful sleep was removing his katanas.

She reached out carefully and laid one gentle finger in the middle of his forehead. Her focus turned inward, seeking some of her precious pooled power, and after warning to Sol not to interfere, she sent a tendril of thought into his mind.

Instantly she was absorbed by his nightmare, and recognized it as her own. No wonder she was sleeping well and he was not.

Even now he was protecting her. She bowed her head, filled with sorrow, that he experienced that horrendous event. His mind was damaged with pain and guilt. Somehow he had convinced himself he was to blame for the entire incident. Not finding her fast enough. Not saving her, even though he hadn't even known her name at the time.

She withdrew her hand and sank deep within her own consciousness, right down to her core, where the blue, silver, and gold threads were woven in tight. Carefully she made the flow of power on the blue thread one way, keeping her thoughts and emotions from sliding back across the connection.

His sleep quieted immediately. She followed the flow back into his mind, and sought out all the images related to her attack. Carefully she smoothed the sharp edges from them. Making them once removed, less painful, not so personal. Hopefully they would no longer trouble him so.

She created her own gently glowing, moon-light white, thread and wove it in, out and around his thoughts, showing him without words how to shield his mind and protect himself from the emotions of those around him. She took the time to weave in other lessons, ones of attack and defense, that he would unlock as his abilities increased.

She lingered at the edges of his mind, basking in the feeling of his normal serenity flowing back over his consciousness. How she wished her time with him didn't have to end. For the first moments since her exile she had begun to feel that she might make it through. Here, with Leonardo and his clan, she felt safe. Comforted by their presence, surety, and strength.

But Leonardo was only just coming into his gifts. In the past few weeks, she had learned that the brothers truly did not understand the depth of their power. Most of their gifts had yet to be unlocked, and they were already extraordinary.

In a flash of foresight, Luna saw what would happen if other gods discovered these beautiful beings. They would be treated as the 'monsters' of old, twisted and used as toys. Manipulated for gain amongst the powers. Leonardo and his family were far too precious to endanger that way.

She would do the responsible thing, and release Leonardo from her soul bindings. Of course, she would heal more slowly, but he would not absorb any more of her pain. Then he and his brothers would be able to let her go.

Sol protested violently.

_stop luna! leo is helping!_

_But HE is hurting!_ Luna replied, tears she didn't feel rolling down her face.

Why did doing the right thing feel so bad?

Carefully, so as not to disturb his now peaceful slumber, she reached out again to touch his face. She stroked it gently with the back of her left hand, whole again, thanks to him.

Luna tilted her head and ran her eyes over his face intently, memorizing his features. His high brow bones and strong jaw showed his intelligence and compassion. His soft mouth practically begged for her kiss. One kiss couldn't hurt, could it? Something she could hold on to when all she had left was memories?

She stopped that line of thought abruptly. That would help no one. As a goddess, she'd had and left hundreds of lovers, both immortal and mortal. So why was this so hard?

She had loved none of them, so none of them had hurt to leave.

No. If she stayed Leonardo and his clan would be destroyed, long before they ever became the luminous beings she knew they could be. She withdrew from his mind and slipped back down into her own core. She would free him. She owed him that, at least, for her life. Unbound, he would not mourn her.

She would mourn for them both.

Mentally she reached for the blue thread, took hold, and tugged at it gently. Loosening the tangle that bound him to her.

Leonardo frowned and stirred in his sleep. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. All his instincts were screaming at him to wake up, but he seemed unable to open his eyes. Something very precious was being taken from him. He began to writhe around on the bed, pain making him moan.

"No! Please!" he cried out. "Stay! Don't leave me in the darkness!"

"Luna, NO!" he shouted coming awake with jolt.


	17. Stay Forever

**Author's note:** This is my first fanfiction, and my first love scene-TMNT- or otherwise. Please feel free to tell my what you think! Please favorite and follow for the rest of the story! Sadly I do not own the turtles only my oc's and this story.

**Stay Forever**

Luna forced herself to remain focused as Leo began to groan softly in his sleep. The tangle holding his thread to her moon-lit one, was wrapped up in her father's gold as well. How could this have happened? Her father was an experienced weaver. Helios' thread shouldn't be caught up in this. She tugged a little more forcefully, but still couldn't get the blue thread to come loose.

_luna!_ Sol chided, _leo hurts!_

Leonardo was mumbling something about darkness, but Luna kept at it, trying to tease the knot loose from the inside. Suddenly Leo screamed.

"Luna, No!"

Intense pain shot through her head and heart, then everything went black.

* * *

Someone was in the room with him, and something was tearing a hole in his heart. Before he had time to think, Leo lept and struck. Too late he registered the scent of lilies and hyacinths.

Luna's scent.

His fist had already connected with her soft flesh and she dropped to the bed like a stone.

_What have I done?_

Leo panicked looking at her silent form. She was just healing and now he'd dealt her a blow hard enough to knock her out. He rushed to her side and knelt next to her slumped form.

Trembling, he reached out and gently cupped her swelling check in his palm. Astoundingly, a blue glow surrounded his hand, and flowed over Luna's face, easing the swelling and wiping it away where he stroked her gently with his thumb. In moments, her face was healed. Leo stared, unable to comprehend what had just occurred.

Luna's eyelids fluttered, and she opened her eyes to discover Leonardo crouching over her, worriedly inspecting her from mere inches away. His sweet breath fell softly onto her face, and her body reacted instinctively.

She lunged toward him, letting her weight slip off the bed and on to his lap while she reached out and pulled his shoulders toward her. Her lips captured his in an instant but her weight took them off balance to the floor.

Leonardo stiffened as Luna threw herself into his arms and kissed him passionately. Surely she was confused by the blow and imagined him someone else! This couldn't be real. Luna couldn't be willingly kissing him... the monster. That sort of reward was saved for the hero.

He tried to carefully push her back so he wouldn't do her any further harm.

Luna felt his resistance, broke the kiss and drew back, looking into his eyes. Leonardo wanted to drown in them, but instead he looked away, trying to sit up and remove Luna from his lap.

Devastated, Luna realized she was too late. She must have succeeded, after all, in untangling Leo's thread. Upset, she pushed herself to her feet and limped toward the door. She didn't even realize there were tears running down her cheeks.

"Don't worry Leonardo." she said quietly. "I know you do not want me now. That is as it should be. I will get Donatello to take me to the surface. You won't ever have to see me again."

Leonardo was completely disarmed by this. Here she was, his greatest desire, preparing to leave because she thought _he_ didn't want _her_? Surely there was some mistake.

He was on his feet and blocking the door so fast it looked like he'd disappeared.

"Luna! Dear one! Please... don't cry. " He tipped her face up gently, and wiped at her tears with his thumbs. "I can't stand it!"

"But," was all she had time for.

He cut her off with a kiss. He would show her the truth, make her see how much he needed her.

Her full lips were so soft and warm against his, he never wanted the kiss to end. He buried one hand in her silky hair, pulling her closer, and let his other hand slide down her side to her waist, wrapping her tightly in his embrace, physically forbidding her to leave.

She moaned and the sound electrified him, sending a shock down his spine. He'd never experienced such pleasure, until she opened her lips and showed him this was only the beginning. She teased his tongue into her mouth, stroking and exploring. She threw her arms around his neck and melted against him, wanting, _needing_ to be nearer still.

Luna felt her desperation rising. Abruptly, she pulled back and stepped away from him. This was wrong! She had just broken their connection, hadn't she? She was supposed to be leaving!

Leo stood trembling as she released him, eyes shut tight, not moving for the longest time. He had allowed hope to grow, had allowed himself to believe she might actually have meant her words, but now she was pulling away. He was the monster after all.

"Leonardo?" she said worriedly, touching his arm.

Leo opened his eyes, and looked her over carefully. Pain crossed her tear streaked face and she swayed a bit where she stood. Suddenly, he recalled her injuries, and in the blink of an eye his expression changed from confused pain to protective concern.

"Luna!" he scolded, "You aren't supposed to be putting weight on your legs!" He scooped her up quickly in his arms, unable to stand the thought of her in the slightest pain. Startled by his sudden movement, she threw her arms around his neck for balance.

Leo stood for a moment, just holding her. He loved the feel of her clinging to him. Determination suddenly welled within him. He would not let her slip away. He would do whatever it took, become whatever she needed him to be. Perhaps he could be the hero too.

He leaned in and deliberately nuzzled her face with his before scattering soft kisses over every bit of her he could reach.

Luna was confused, he wasn't supposed to be reacting like this. He shouldn't want her anymore. She closed her eyes and dove inside to examine the soul bonds she thought she'd released.

What she found shocked her. The knots were even more complex than before, and the blue had thickened from mere threads into a rope that wrapped tightly around her heart and wove through the remaining piece of her soul.

Stunned, Luna opened her eyes and gave in, letting Leo support her utterly. Maybe it was selfish, maybe it was wrong, but she didn't want to lose him. She let her head fall back across his arm, and he took advantage of her exposed neck, licking and kissing his way to the soft spot at the base of her throat.

Quickly he strode to the bed and sat her carefully on the edge of it. He knelt in front of her on the floor and gently inspected her soft bare legs for further injury, running his hands from ankle to knee. Luna stopped him. Parted her knees to pull him closer, and captured him once more in a kiss.

That was all the invitation he needed to run his hands further up her thighs and under the hem of the long tee she was wearing. He continued to kiss her passionately as she trailed her hands down his neck and over his chest.

The feel of her warm flesh under his hands was pure bliss.

Before now, Leo felt his hands sole purpose had been bearing weapons, punishing evil and defending the defenseless. Now, he discovered their true purpose was twofold, to protect this beautiful woman in front of him, and to bring her as much pleasure as he possibly could.

Luna's hands slid down Leo's front to his belt, and she deftly stripped him of it and his harness. He stood and quickly devested himself of his remaining pads and gear, before returning to the bed to lie next to Luna. Luna slid out of her own clothes, and as soon as he joined her, intertwined her legs with his and wrapped her arms around his neck, to be as close as possible to him.

Leonardo worshiped her with kisses, stroked and caressed every inch of her body, and memorized every motion that made her shudder and moan.

Luna caressed his form lightly in return. Exploring his body, so unlike any of her other lovers. She admired the texture and beauty of his shell, ran her hands over his sides, and revelled in the taste of his dark jade skin.

"Leonardo" she gasped, in her bell like voice, as he made her quiver. The way she gave voice to his name was like a caress.

Leo captured her lips with his and rolled them till he was on his shell, with Luna straddling his waist. She sat up and traced the seams of his upper plastron, first with her hands, then her tongue.

Shuddering with restrained passion, Leonardo gripped her gently at the waist and shifted her seat lower towards his hips, exposing his lower plastron. He guided her hand to the slit there, now swollen with his arousal. And released her.

He met her eyes then, and his were tinged with fear. This more than anything else, proved he was the monster. His sex was hidden inside until needed, and only her gentle stimulation could release him. He waited for her to cringe back in disgust, to draw her hand away and flee from his room.

Instead Luna leaned forward, never taking her eyes from his gaze. She slid her arms around his neck and tugged his soft blue mask free from his eyes, discarding it over the side of the bed. Eyes wide open, still meeting his, she kissed him deeply.

"You are the most beautiful being I have ever encountered." she whispered.

Leo's arms closed about her in an instant. Never had he believed this moment of total acceptance would come. He kissed her, again and again. Beyond passion. Beyond reason. He never wanted to release her.

She broke free, sitting up and laughed in delight. Her laugh stoked the fires inside him to new levels and his need for her grew even stronger. She slid down herself this time to expose his slit and began to lick teasingly around it. Leo moaned loudly, and flushed thinking the entire household could probably hear him.

Finally, Luna took pity, and laved him fully with her tongue from bottom to top. That sensation pushed Leo over the edge. He bucked and arched underneath her, and his thick full erection broke free of it's confinement and rose in front of her eyes. Luna's breath caught.

She wanted him, no, she needed him. Right now.

Knowing her legs could not support her long, Leo rolled them again, until Luna was resting gently on the bed. He raised himself above her, balancing easily with powerful muscles but nearly lost himself, when she spread her legs invitingly.

"Are you sure Luna?" he whispered softly.

She smiled radiantly up at him, and her skin began to pulse with a soft white light as she released her power to surround them. She reached for him with hands and mind, pulling him close.

"Stay with me, Leonardo." she said, before fastening her lips to his.

His reply echoed in both their minds.

_Forever..._


	18. Not Enough

**Not Enough**

Raphael tossed and turned in his bed, but it was no use. Sleep was eluding him once again. He sighed and sat up, automatically reaching for his weapons and gear. Not that he needed to go armed at home. Not usually. But since Luna's arrival, Raph had been keeping his weapons closer. Her enemies were varied and dangerous, and some of them would not be kept out by the deceptions that misled humans.

Raph headed down toward the kitchen to grab himself a drink. At least that's what he told himself he was doing, but really it was just an excuse to pass by the infirmary door and look in on the girl. He smiled at the thought of seeing her tiny form tucked into her nest, in the flickering candlelight.

A memory flashed across his mind.

Luna had only been conscious for a few days, and Raph knew she was scared and hurting. He longed to hold and comfort her, but he would not hurt Leo that way. So he asked, instead, if he could bring her anything to help her feel better. She had shyly requested some additional cushions for her bed, and he had gathered a few for her.

He wondered rather aimlessly around, taking a small pillow from the couch, and picking a few from the storage area. Each time he returned with one, her smile grew a little larger on her battered face, and he felt compelled to seek out another.

Why one little girl needed so many cushions had been beyond him until he checked on her later that evening. She had created a huge, soft, nest in the middle of her futon and was snuggled down in the center of it, sheltering like a tiny bird. Sleeping peacefully for the first time since she regained consciousness.

The next day, he turned the house upside down, and gathered every single pillow he could find. He quietly added them to her nest without comment. Some were extras donated by Donnie and Mikey.

Raph gave her all of his.

He blinked, coming back to the present. She really was like a rare tropical bird. Something glorious and precious that needed protection. He would make sure she had it.

Raph frowned as he neared the infirmary door. The room was dark, and that was odd. Luna was afraid of the dark. Raphael had made sure that everyone knew to keep a candle burning for her at all times. He paused in the doorway, and panic gripped him. Luna wasn't there.

Raph's gaze darted frantically around the room. There was no sign of a struggle. Stay calm, he instructed himself. Maybe one of the guys had helped her to another room. He knew she was getting restless in the infirmary.

Raph glanced up towards his and Donnie's rooms on the second level. No lights there, so he headed for the main living quarters. As he entered, he saw Don coming down the far staircase.

"Donnie, did ya move Luna?" he demanded.

Don nodded, and Raph let out the breath he'd been holding.

"Ya scared me Don," he said more quietly, "I thought she'd been taken, right under ma nose."

Don nodded again, a little sadly, Raph thought.

"Where'd ya take her?" Raph asked.

"Leo's room." was the quiet reply.

Raph's heart sank. He knew Luna deserved far more than he could offer. Fearless was certainly worthy of her. God help Leo if he ever hurt her though. Brother or no… Raph sighed.

Don laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's get some tea" he said quietly, and led Raph back toward the kitchen away from his brother's sleeping quarters.

Raph slumped dejectedly at the table while Don puttered around the kitchen. Soon, one of Splinter's best tea sets was between them and they sipped companionably for a time.

"It's been a month." Don said finally. "Luna is mending, and her enemy, whomever it is, hopefully still thinks she is dead. I think it's time for a little investigating."

Raph nodded slowly, wondering where Don was going with this.

"I, for one, am not going to sit around on my shell, until this enemy finds out Luna is alive and comes back at her with even more force." Don continued.

"And..."

Suddenly all trace of the gentle, laid back, Donatello was gone. In his place stood an absolutely lethal ninja assassin.

"I am going to kill every last one of those son's of bitches that laid a hand on Luna."

He smiled fiercely.

"Wanna help?"

* * *

An exhausted Leo lay quietly, his arms wrapped firmly around a sleeping goddess and wondered just exactly what had happened. One moment he had been trapped in the usual nightmare, the next someone was tearing his heart out.

He shuddered and pulled the goddess closer. Luna had been in his room, and he had attacked her. He had ATTACKED her. Guilt flooded his system. At least he had somehow healed her as well. All these new abilities popping up kept him very confused.

Then she kissed him. Impossible, but true, and tried to walk out of his life. He may have been confused, but not enough to let that happen. He stopped her the only way he knew how. If Luna wanted him, he was more than happy to acquiesce.

She hadn't run from the monster. She'd called him beautiful. Would she still think the same when she awoke?

Now that she was asleep, he was alone with his thoughts and feelings. He wondered why that felt strange. Then he realized he didn't 'hear' anyone else. No loneliness, no longing, no pity. Had his brothers gone out? Unlikely at this hour. He squinted towards his clock in the dim glow.

Glow?

Sol was quivering softly between their heads on the pillow.

"Sol?" He breathed quietly, so as not to wake Luna "What. Happened."

Sol zipped straight up into Leo's head, all prohibitions forgotten.

_luna tried to free leo from the soul bond._ Sol made the mental equivalent of a shrug.

_luna failed._

"What? Back up. Let's just start with what she was doing in my room." Leo said.

_smart one said that leo was hurting._

Sol projected Don's concerned face talking in the infirmary, but Leo couldn't make out the conversation. He had to rely on Sol's loose interpretation.

_leo hurting made luna angry. luna asked to see leo, so smart one carried luna up. _

The vision was Don carrying Luna swiftly up the stairs towards Leo's room.

"She was worried that I was in pain?" Leo asked.

_yes. leo is luna's soul bonded._

Sol projected a vision of several silvery glowing threads, woven around some that carried a very familiar shade of blue.

Leo took a moment to digest this. Luna's soul piece was bound to him? Nothing would make him happier, but...

"She came up to break that bond?" he asked horrified.

_no! luna stopped leo's hurt and showed leo how to stop others feelings getting in._

"But then she decided she didn't want me?" he asked, his heart heavy. It seemed that he was not enough after all.

_no!_

Sol projected the next vision almost violently at him. It was Luna's tear streaked face as she gently stroked a sleeping Leo's cheek.

_leo and family are special! luna thinks very bad things happen if luna stays. if other gods find family. luna thinks if leo was unbound, family would be safe. luna would be lost, but leo would be happy._

_I don't want Luna to be lost!_ Leo's mind screamed. "She can't do it, can she?" he asked desperately.

_no._ Sol was very smug. _Father made sure._

Sol provided a much more elaborate vision of the same weaving. In this one, the silver and blue threads were bound about and held together by thousands of super thin gold threads. Helios, had indeed intertwined their fates.


	19. Danger

**Danger**

Word on the street was, if you was smart, you stayed away from the one called Raphael. He had a nasty habit of showing up at the most critical time of any given gang job and beating the crap outta you. That is, if you was a ganger hanging around on the lower east side.

Chinowa didn't know what the word on the street might be in other parts of the city, but he figured the way Raph and his brothers moved around, it was likely the same. Of course, most of the gang members had never really seen Raphael, even when they were getting smashed by 'em. If they had, they'd probably be even more afraid.

The sneaky bastard loved to work in the shadows. He was so fast, most people knew only two things about him. His deep, grating voice tauntin' you, and the painful bruises or broken bones he left behind.

Chinowa was one of the few members of his gang to have actually held a conversation with the guy. And it was pretty one-sided the first time. But the thing was, you had to respect him. Not just because he could beat you silly, but because he held to his own sorta street justice.

If you were gettin' the beat down, he didn't care who you were or what your past might be, he just stepped in an' put a stop to it.

He did expected you to pay it forward though, and if he ever caught you doin' the beatin', well he didn't give second chances.

It happened like that to Chinowa. One night he'd stepped over the line, so to speak, with a rival gang and discovered the consequences a little too late. He'd thought that dark alley and the piss and the puddles were gonna' be the last things he ever saw, considerin' the number of booted feet flyin' at his person that night.

Chinowa couldn't tell if Raph came from the roof, the fire escape or just boiled up outta hell, but in a sudden flurry of arms, legs, and shadows the bodies around him all just stopped what they was doin' and dropped down to the pavement.

There was a long silence before Chinowa finally decided he was gonna live and scrambled to his feet. Then a scary voice came outta the darkness.

"There's stuff ya' do and stuff ya' just don't do in this world, kid. Sometimes life don't give ya' much to work wit' but even here in the unda-ground ya' can make choices. Choices between right and wrong."

"Tonight I made a choice, to step in and stop this. Because of me, tomorrow, you get to make one."

"Choose to give a little more than ya' take. Choose to not go whalin' on the helpless. Choose to save ya' violence, for those that really deserve it. Choose these things, and I got your back. Choose otherwise..."

The voice trailed off menacingly, and huge green, bulky figure stepped out of the shadows of the fire escape into the light of a street lamp.

"I'll be comin' ta put ya' down."

Chinowa had cringed back from this new threat, but it stopped and tossed him somethin'

"Take dis."

It was small metal cylinder attached to a keychain. The end opposite the chain, had a funky little dial with a button, and the side had a digital readout with a phone number that changed every 3 minutes. The figure disappeared, but the voice came again, echoing down the alleyway.

"That little gadget does 3 things. Ya' see somethin ya don't like goin' down, or ya' higher ups, plannin' somethin' really wrong, you dial that number and leave a message. Ya' get cornered ya'self, ya' turn the dial and press down that button. You'll get backup. Ya' feel it buzz, ya call tha' number and listen up."

Chinowa stood up shakily, peering into the darkness of the alley.

"Why me?" he yelled.

"Ya' got a good head on ya' shoulders kid. I've seen ya' around. Don't make me have to take that away from ya'. K?" Came the voice.

"Who are you?" Chinowa called.

"They call me Raphael"

Chinowa hadn't exactly been on the straight and narrow since then, but he understood what Raph was gettin' at. He'd actually been pleased the couple of times he'd been buzzed and asked to help out with some things. It hadn't been anything too major but he suddenly had the feeling his life could make a difference. That was somethin' he hadn't felt in a long time.

He'd run into Raph a couple of other times. Mostly to do with things he'd been on the fringes of. Raph would give him a nod to let him know the message had been appreciated, even if it was some small time stuff. Chinowa would hang back 'til Raph was done, then have a quiet word. That's how he met Raph's bro's one night.

Now, for the first time, he actually had somethin' bigger to report, and he was feelin' pretty spiffy about it since it had to do with that girl Don had been askin' about a few weeks back.

He had the feelin' somethin' huge was about to go down, he just didn't know he was gonna be that big a part of it.

* * *

Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello concealed themselves on the top of a 4 story brownstone near where Luna had been attacked on the lower east side, and watched the alleyway below them cautiously. If the information Chinowa called in panned out, one of Luna's assailants would be meeting him down there shortly. Or at least someone who knew one of them.

Leo knew them all, he'd seen them in his dreams night after night, and he would recognize them instantly, but Don rather doubted it would be one of those actually responsible for Luna's injuries. The report Chinowa had called in was of an unusual suspect cruisin through his neighborhood, not a street thug.

The guy asked questions about the remains of a girl who had died on gang turf, with the excuse that she had stolen important property from him. He was offering a reward to anyone that could tell him the location of the body. Chinowa had arranged to meet with him tonight.

Leonardo was tense as he watched the alley intently from his position above. When the man showed up, what would he do? If he saw the face of one who had violated his mate, he was likely to lose all self control. Even picturing them in his mind made his blood boil and caused his usual calm to shatter like a crystal dropped on concrete.

Unfortunately, they needed information and that meant taking the man alive.

Of course, Leo was not in the mood to grant a quick death to any of her assailants anyway. No, they were going to suffer, and beg for death, long before he would grant them that privilege. Leo looked up and silently met the eyes of his two brothers. He knew they could see the fury and anxiety in his eyes, and that worried him.

Raph grinned grimly in support and waited impatiently, toying with one of his sai. He kept slapping the handle into his palm over and over while watching the alley. Leo knew Raph would support any kind of punishment he might wish to dole out, but Leo didn't know how far Don would let him go.

"Donatello," Leo said softly, trying to assess his mood, "If we get this guy, can you make him talk?"

Don turned his eyes from the street below and carefully studied his older brother. When he finally moved, it was with a lethal grace, and he came toward Leo slowly, his chocolate brown eyes hardening into chunks of agate.

"After what they did to Luna? I'll make him scream."


	20. The pieces won't pick up themselves

**The pieces won't pick up themselves.**

Luna awoke with a nasty taste in her mouth that made her teeth itch and a groggy feeling in her head that made her want to burrow back under the covers and hide. Instead, she forced her blurry eyes to focus on the clock Don had given her. 6PM. She hated sleeping the day away. She hated the way the sleeping pills made her feel even more. But it was the only way she was going to recover.

She was still a long way from 100% but now that Leo wasn't shielding her, the dreams made getting solid sleep difficult, if not impossible. Not that Leo hadn't tried to resume his protective shielding but she'd absolutely forbidden it. He shouldn't have to suffer every time she closed her eyes. Don's sleeping pills and afternoon naps would have to do.

Just then Michelangelo poked his head in the infirmary door, interrupting her thoughts and bringing a smile to her face. His ever cheery attitude was always a balm to her frazzled nerves.

"Afternoon Sleepy Moon!" He teased as he came in with a tray that smelled of delicious, mouth watering things.

She had discovered early on, that Michelangelo was the source of all the incredible meals in this place. He loved to cook and the kitchen was his second home, after the spot on the sofa in front of the gaming machine. Since she'd awakened, he'd kept up a constant stream of excellent food and reassurance during her long recovery and she adored him for it.

She sat up as he set the tray in front of her with a flourish worthy of a french waiter, and waited for her to sample his latest creation. She didn't hesitate, shoving it into her mouth and nodding her appreciation.

He flopped down into a nearby chair and flung one leg casually over the arm while waiting for her to finish her meal.

"So," he began, rattling a small cup, "I've got your latest dose of pain pills here and after you have them we have a few hours to kill. What do you wanna do?"

"Any chance we could get outside and soak up some rays?" Luna asked without any real hope. She felt trapped in the infirmary, and feeling some of her father's power on her skin would be heavenly. But she really didn't expect that the answer would be yes.

"Hmm." Mikey thought for a moment, then brightened, "Well we could hang out in Donnie's lab for a little while. He has skylights in there."

Luna's jaw dropped. "He has skylights? This far underground?"

"Un-huh! And when the sun goes down in a bit, I can take you up to the rooftop and we can soak in the moon's rays too!" Mikey said. "Or should I say Luna-r rays?"

A smile lit Luna's face and Michelangelo basked in it. There was something truly uplifting about making Luna smile. Somehow it made him feel complete, like everything was right with the universe. He'd found himself spending more and more time with her and doing everything he could think of to make that smile appear.

It was why he hadn't thought twice about volunteering to stay behind to guard her when Leo, Don and Raph decided to set a trap for her attackers. Leo had been a bit surprised since Mikey was always up for a fight but to Mikey, it made perfect sense. Luna needed a distraction, and at that he was king.

She finished her meal and Mikey helped her carefully through several different rooms until they reached the long expanse that Donatello used as his lab. It was a room Luna hadn't yet seen in their home, and she was amazed.

The late afternoon light was streaming in, magnified by the refractive caps Don had created to enhance the effect. Sunlight washed over all the varied equipment, guilding the glass containers and reflecting off the impressive array of inventions lining the rear shelves.

Luna looked around in wonder. Experiments bubbling away, chemistry equipment, electronics, and tools cluttered up every flat surface in the room. The walls were lined with shelves, drawers, and containers piled high with unidentifiable odds and ends. One wall was completely filled with books; there was everything from the nature of the universe, to poetry to sci-fi.

As she stared around, trying to absorb it all, Mikey balanced her at a nearby table and went to empty a cozy armchair in the corner. He scooted it around, nudging it this way and that, until he was satisfied that it was directly under one of the tubes of sunlight.

He watched intently as Luna walked carefully over and sank gracefully into the chair. Like his brothers, he was terribly concerned about her recovery and she was still so fragile looking, he was afraid even a small gust of wind could knock her off her feet.

She settled in, closed her eyes, and tilted her face up to the bright rays of light streaming into the lab, looking for all the world like a flower soaking up the sun. She let out a small, soft, satisfied sigh and relaxed completely for the first time in what seemed like weeks.

Mikey silently studied her face and he liked what he saw. He knew she was concerned about her effect on their family, but from what he'd seen so far, she was exactly what this family needed.

Michelangelo was exceptionally insightful and one glance was usually all he needed to tell him everything about a given emotional situation, including how to defuse it. But things had been going steadily downhill here, before Luna arrived.

His family had outgrown their home. Not in the physical sense, since the tunnels and rooms down here went on and on, but mentally. Each of them developed their own ways of coping but they all suffered from the same malady. Being trapped underground, hidden away from society.

Mikey kept things light and tried to keep his brothers in harmony, but lately even his best efforts were failing. With Master Splinter away and unable to advise them, the unity that they depended on for survival had been fraying rapidly. It pained him that no one else seemed to have noticed.

He sighed quietly and turned his attention again to the miraculous little goddess that had been practically gift wrapped and dropped in their laps. She was a god-send. He laughed a little at his own joke. She was a breath of fresh air, a new perspective that shook them up and made them start acting and thinking again rather than just going through the motions of life.

Then there was her new bond with Leo. It had taken awhile for Leo to explain it in a way they could all understand but it's meaning was astounding. It represented an entirely new phase of their lives. One that none of them had even dared dream of before now.

_They could have mates._

The mere possibility was enough to make them all eager to help and protect her, even unto death. They sat quietly for a while, each contemplating their own thoughts, until Mikey's inner timer for quiet thought went off and he had to say _something_.

"What cha' thinkin about?" he asked, just to break the silence.

"What a great cook you are!" she shot back, and he laughed.

"Glad you liked it, but really, you looked totally unhappy just then, so unless my cooking gave you a belly ache, you were thinking about something else. What's up?"

"I'm worried about Leo." she admitted. "Donnie and Raph too!" she added quickly. Then, as if a dam had burst, more words she hadn't meant to share came pouring out. She couldn't seem to stop them.

"They are out there risking exposure to immortals with powers they've never even imagined, and it's all my fault." she said, agony clear on her face. "I should have tried harder to undo the bond that Sol created. I should have stopped it from seeking you out to begin with. Maybe it's not too late to untangle you. Perhaps I could get one of my cousins to shelter me and just disappear. I couldn't bear it if any of you got hurt."

_or enslaved. _Her mind added silently.

"That'd just hurt us in a different way, dudette." he replied quickly, his smile gone. "Leo would go crazy with worry and all of us would be out looking for you in a heartbeat."

He frowned.

"Maybe you're not used to it because you didn't need anyone when you were all god like, but now you're a lot more fragile. We can protect you. We _want_ to protect you. You're our family now, Leo's mate, and we want to help you pick up the pieces."

At that, Luna's face pinched again with worry.

"I'm afraid of finding the other pieces, Michelangelo." She said, her voice dropping even lower. "I know they are out there somewhere, floating around like Sol. They are probably just as innocent and scared as it was before it found us. But what if, in their fear, they've bonded to others?"

She turned wide frightened eyes to his, her face pale with worry and distress. Michelangelo hadn't thought about her having more than one soulmate. He'd just assumed the other pieces would bond to Leo as well.

How many other pieces could there be? What would that mean for his family? Exposure to more humans? More immortals? And most important, would Leo, who had waited so long for a mate, be able to share her with a stranger?

He wanted to ask all these questions and more, but she was already too distressed. Instead, he asked a different one.

"How do they do it? The soul pieces, I mean. How do they bond with people?" .

"The Sols may be innocent, but they are powerful. They can see into the hearts and minds of the other beings they encounter. If someone meets their criteria, they may offer a bond. No one really knows what they are looking for, but once the bond is offered and accepted, it takes a god to undo it. Soulbonding is quite rare among mortals and unheard of among the gods themselves. I never expected it to happen to me."

"Well, Sol didn't choose anyone until recently. The others could be holding out as well. I'm sure Donnie can come up with a way to search for them. Maybe they give off a weird energy or something he can track." Mikey was ready to say anything that would take that pinched and horrified look off of her face.

He looked around, hoping to see something to distract her with. He hated to see her wilting under the stress. Darkness had settled over the city while they were talking, perhaps now was a great time to distract her with the outside.

"Ready to see the stars?" he said, changing the subject abruptly.

The opportunity to be above ground after more than a month below, was too tempting.

"Only if you're sure it's safe..." she trailed off at his indignant expression.

"Of course you'll be safe Sleepy Moon!" He said, misunderstanding that her concern was for him. "I'll be there to guard you. Besides, Leo would kill me if I took you someplace unsafe."

"Ditto" she replied, but she said it under her breath so he couldn't hear.

Grinning hugely, Michelangelo scooped her up flamboyantly from the chair, and holding her in his arms, strode swiftly out into the open tunnels. Nobody knew them like Mikey did, and before she realized it, they were approaching what looked like an actual door at the end of one. Mikey keyed some numbers into a pad and it opened to what appeared to be the empty furnace room of an old housing tenement.

From the dust and debris, she could see the room was rarely used, but on the other side of it was the oldest elevator Luna had ever seen. It was the freight kind, the type with the gate you have to manually pull closed. It was dented and dinged and had a rather permanent looking sign on it that read "out of service."

Mikey headed straight to it, accessed another number pad, and the elevator roared to life. It's lights flickered, the gate rose up, and there was a great grinding of gears that clanked loudly. The hairs on Luna's arms stood up at the sound.

Mikey met her frightened gaze and winked.

"It's perfectly safe." he said, reading the thoughts on her face. "That's just one of Donnie's little deceptions to keep people from messing with it. I recorded the sound effects, and Raph said the lights should blink."

She laughed, appreciating the cleverness of her new family.

They took the elevator straight to the roof, and Luna couldn't stifle her excited gasp as they exited to a night full of stars. After weeks of being indoors, the sky looked incredible.

Mikey carried her straight to an old chaise lounge he used for stargazing and laid her gently on it. He watched as she settled back. Just as she had when basking in the sun down below, she closed her eyes and tilted her face to the sky.

A stray cloud had been hiding the large orb of the moon, but at that moment, it trailed away and the cool bluish glow hit her skin. At first Mikey thought it must be a trick of the light but soon he realized her skin was giving off an answering moon glow. A soft reflection of the larger light above.

Michelangelo knew she wasn't completely human but everytime he saw an example of her power it took his breath away. She was truly gorgeous and otherworldly, and he couldn't help comparing her to the unlikely heroines and female superheros he idolized from his comics.

_She blew them all away._

He started guiltily at that thought, remembered he was supposed to be keeping his guard up and quickly moved his gaze to the scan the surrounding rooftops. He didn't want Leo to think he'd been careless with his mate.

They hadn't been on the rooftop very long, when Michelangelo felt a weird prickle on his skin. The air turned suddenly cold and he whirled around checking everywhere for danger. Shadows seemed to have sprung up from nowhere and were shifting in the moonlight.

He drew his weapons, and backed slowly across the rooftop toward where Luna lay.

"Um, Luna, sweetie, I hate to interrupt, but do you know what those are?" he said.

She opened her eyes as if startled, lost for a moment in her silent contemplation. Squinting she took in the shadowy forms swooping around them just outside her moonbeam glow.

"Those are shades." she said "Shadows of the dead that can't reach the afterlife without help."

"Are they dangerous?" he asked.

"Shades are harmless but something has them all worked up." She frowned. "They usually only get this agitated when..."

She trailed off as a ghostly howl rose in the distance and echoed around them.

"When there are wraiths about."


	21. Into Battle

**Into Battle**

The sun was almost gone when the messenger arrived, and Leonardo decided to break his own rule about fighting in the daylight. There were enough thick shadows in the alley to obscure them from a casual glance if someone did happen to look out a window.

Although he knew he had been considering the shadows too long when it looked like they had begun to twitch and move on their own.

With a hand signal and a tilt of his head, Leo told his brothers he planned a flanking attack, and without another thought, he lept off the side of the building. Using the closely spaced fire escapes in a practiced way, he dropped noiselessly into the alley behind the man.

Right away, he knew something was wrong. This wasn't the same man that Chinowa had described. He was of fairly normal stature for a human thug, but the power emanating from him was abnormally intense, and when he turned to face Leo, his eyes flashed redly for a moment.

But it was too late now, they were already committed and Leonardo was not going to back down and lose this chance to find Luna's enemies.

He drew his katanas and stepped into the light to let the thug see him clearly, a tactic he hoped would startle and distract the guy, while his brothers struck from behind. Raphael attacked without warning using a flying kick that should have laid the guy out in the alley. Instead Raph bounced off the thug's back like it was a brick wall. Raph quickly recovered, but not fast enough to avoid a countering punch.

Leo didn't wait, he flung himself forward and into the battle, followed closely by Donnie. Weapons whirling, they managed to force the thug away from Raph, who flipped and rolled through the opening they created.

In two mighty bounds, Raphael launched himself up over his brothers, using the alley wall like a trampoline. He landed with considerable momentum, and all his massive bulk, in the middle of the thugs chest. This time the guy did go down but only for a moment. Both quickly rolled and regained their feet.

The thug backed off a few paces, shook himself and laughed, a horrible grating sound that brought to mind the crackling of broken glass under a booted foot.

"Why all this effort defending a body?" he asked mildly, while easily deflecting a tandem attack from from Don and Raph. Leo waved them back and narrowed his eyes at the thug.

"What do you know about that poor girl?" Leo demanded.

"I don't know or care about the corpse," the thug replied callously, "I just want something she had on her. Maybe you've seen it? It may have looked a bit strange, but by the look of you, maybe not that strange." He smiled evilly. "It's a small bluish flame that has the distressing tendency to fly about on it's own."

Leo's eyes widened and he exchanged glances with Don and Raph. This maniac wanted Sol?

And what was up with the calm acceptance of their appearance? Usually there was all this shouting about freaks. And something was definitely off when a Don/Raph tandem attack did nothing. Leo decided to try another approach.

He deliberately dropped his guard, letting the tips of his katanas hit the pavement in a show of nonchalance.

"I might have seen it," he said cautiously, "What's it worth to you?"

Again came the broken glass chuckle. "Quite a bit actually. My employer would pay handsomely for it, or for any information leading to it's capture, since I doubt you could catch it, even as unusual as you are."

"Oh?" Leo said acting offended, "Then how do _you _plan to catch it? What use is it anyway?"

Leo thought if he kept asking questions, he might be able to trick the information he wanted from the thug by playing the 'you might be able to corrupt me' ploy.

The man reached into his jacket and Leo immediately raised his weapons, but he only took a strange little sphere out of his pocket. It was about the size of a baseball, but transparent as crystal, except that it somehow reflected a slight reddish gleam from the inside.

Leo exchanged a glance with Don, who shook his head a tiny bit. He'd never seen anything like it either.

"This can hold it," the man said, shaking the sphere and watching the red move slowly from side to side.

"Alone, that little blue flame is of no use. But if you have a complete set," he laughed, jiggling the orb again, "You can join the gods!"

The thug looked past Leo, towards the mouth of the alley, and gave a strange little beckoning gesture. That moment of distraction was all Don needed. He swung his bo and knocked the sphere across the alley. With a roar, the thug leapt after it but it spun out of his hand and rolled even further away.

Then all hell broke loose.

The shadows in the alleyway had grew to enormous proportions. They twisted and moved in a way none of the brothers had ever seen before. Shades broke loose from their moorings and whirled all around, whistling and whispering.

At that same moment, a horde of wide eyed and crazed looking humans charged forward from the street side of the alley.

* * *

Luna locked eyes with Michelangelo. Her moon-glow dimmed and went out.

"I'm thinking that whatever made _that _noise is not so harmless." Mikey said, as another banshee wail rose from the darkness. "What _are _they?"

"Wraiths. They're a hybrid being, a cross between phantasms and demons, that are eternally hungry. When they feed, they drain power from unwitting mortals; and immortals if they can catch them. They are slaves to whoever summons them and are usually sent to hunt down a specific victim and drag their soul to Tartarus."

"You've been spending far too much time with Donnie. English please for us lesser mortals." Mikey drawled.

"Ghosts Mikey. Big. Scary. Ghosts. Who want to eat you, then take your soul to the underworld. Got it?"

"So... we're doomed?" Mikey asked theatrically.

"They wouldn't be a problem if I was at full strength, but right now... It usually takes a god to banish them before they find their prey, unless Hades can be persuaded to rein them in." She mused. "They're not here yet, so we still have a chance."

"Right! Let's get you out of here"

Quick as a flash, Mikey scooped her up in his arms and started for the elevator, but Luna yelled.

"Not that way Mikey! We can't escape with a physical barrier, they'll just follow us underground. They're looking for our power signature not our bodies. I can shield Sol and my own power from them, but I don't have enough energy to cover you too!"

"That's ok, dudette," He smiled, trying to keep her calm. "Other than my kick ass ninja skills, I don't have any special powers to worry about. Though I wouldn't mind a superpower or two. Maybe flying, or seeing through walls, that could be cool."

"Mikey!" she gasped, "This is serious! You may not have tapped it yet, but you've got so much power you're lit up like an orange neon sign! You might as well have 'eat me' tattooed on your forehead."

"I am? Uh-oh! What should we do then?" he said, stopping his headlong run towards the elevator.

His levity did not stop her panic about his safety. She looked frantically around the top of the building trying to think of anything that might help. Her eyes landed on the milling shades, still drifting all around them.

"I've got an idea! Get us back into the deepest shadows you can find. I'll send Sol away so there is less power to hide." she said.

"Sol?" She made the releasing gesture quickly over her forehead. "Leave me now. Go directly to Leo! Don't stop and don't get close to the wraiths. Ok?"

Before she had finished speaking, Sol had collected itself above her head, and her eyes had gone dark again. But Sol hesitated, hovering above her.

"I've got her Sol, you go!" Mikey whispered, as another howl announced a wraith getting closer.

Sol took off, leaving a small blue trail behind him.

"Ok, now what?" he whispered to Luna, as he clutched her close to his chest and slipped back into the regular shadows of some A/C units.

"Set me down here and find another spot to hide." She whispered back. "This is gonna feel weird, but just stay still and quiet ok? No matter how uncomfortable this is, no matter what happens, _don't _leave the shadows."

Luna closed her now useless eyes, as Mikey reluctantly left her and moved away. She focused her attention on the group of shades flowing over the rooftop and whispering all around them.

_Come to me, little ones! _She mentally called to them. _Help me and I will deliver you to your eternal peace. _

Five of the restless shades stopped their mindless whirling, and moved closer. She called again, but she couldn't seem to attract any more. She sighed,these would only be enough to shelter Mikey.

She shook her head, what was she thinking? He was the one she had to hide. She knew the wraiths were hunting her, but if they saw the beacon of power that was Michelangelo, all bets were off about who was going to be dinner.

_? _ she felt from the curious shades gathering around her.

_On my honor as a goddess, shield this one from the wraiths, and I will Send you. _She said.

She felt the normally timid shades eagerly agree. The chance to cross over did not come often for these poor creatures, and though they feared the wraiths, it was merely the residue of their human fears.

Spent souls did not interest wraiths at all. They had no power to drain so the wraiths ignored them. With a little boost from Luna, though, the shades darkness would become reflective, keeping the wraiths power hungry gazes away from Michelangelo.

She felt a sudden chill from the depths of the grave, as the shades passed over her to cover Michelangelo. And she heard his sharp inhalation when they gathered around his hidden form. She threw them each a little silver thread of power to increase their reflective capability. Then steeled herself for what was to come.

There was not enough power left to truly shield herself, but she hoped she was drained enough that the wraiths would be confused. Right now her power signature was more like a humans than a goddess.

She smiled grimly. And if not, well, she had an ace so to speak. The wraiths might take her, but Hades owed her a favor.


	22. Monsters

**Monsters**

Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello were caught off guard by the swirling shadows and howling humans, but it didn't take them long to discover the shadows were merely a distraction. Attention quickly diverted back to the charging humans who were attacking as if possessed.

Leo turned to meet the first wave as his brothers peeled off to retrieve the orb and stop the thug from escaping. As the humans reached him, Leo was stunned to see Luna's assailants among them. Rage like he'd never known before engulfed him and he let out a howl that would have sent sane men running for the hills.

At the sight of those faces, those horrible, twisted, unforgettable faces, Leo snapped. His plan for capture and interrogation turned to dust. His anger had no measure.

Leonardo had never been so deadly.

He attacked with graceful fluid movements, bringing pain, devastation and destruction to those that had dared to violate the beautiful goddess he now called his mate. He sliced, slashed, and maimed those who stood before him, showing none of his usual regard for human life.

He would not rest until he had ended every single one of them.

Don had recovered the strange crystal and Raph had forced the thug into a blind corner when Leo's enraged cry broke over the alleyway. Raph gave him a concerned look, but Don turned, took in his brother's mindless rage, and jumped to the conclusion that these were the men who assaulted Luna.

And he wanted in on that action.

Don's bo spun in a deadly arc towards the humans who had so wantonly destroyed the fragile mortal existence of his patient. Each blow was dealt sternly in retribution for the broken bones he had to mend, the wounds he had to stitch, and the devastation he felt while caring for her broken form.

But none of it could relieve the pain, shame, and horror he endured while tending to her many _other _injuries. These rapists had to be put down, and he would not mourn them.

An unnatural silence fell over the alleyway.

Don's bo stilled.

There were no more targets.

Leo stood panting in the middle of the alley; surrounded by silent human forms, unmoving, on the street at his feet. When he was sure that none of the figures was going to rise again, Leonardo turned on the thug Raphael held pinned to the wall, his gaze still lethal.

"Who do you work for?" Leo demanded, raising a blood slicked katana to the man's throat.

"Stupid mortal." The thug spat. "I do not fear you. I am the Guardian of the Dead, and you know _nothing _of the affairs in which you interfere."

His eyes flashed red, and a mental storm of fire, pain and fury hit Leonardo. He staggered back with a gasp, dropping his swords. His brothers flinched in pain as they were caught by the edges of the blow.

Don wasn't sure how Leo was still standing. It felt like the Earth was swaying and Don had only been grazed by the blow. If there had been any question on the state of this enemy, it had now been answered. This being was definitely immortal.

At that moment, something blossomed in Leonardo's mind. One of the lessons Luna gave to him. A way to use his new talents as a defense... and a weapon. Leo's gaze narrowed, he reinforced his shields, and sent a mental lance of his own at the thug. The guy writhed under Raph's hard grip his eyes flaring.

Don stood by, on guard in case the bastard managed to twitch free of Raph's iron fist. His mind raced trying to put a name to the immortal. If they could only tell Luna who her enemies were, they might be able to plan out how to defeat them.

_Keen eyes that flash to red, unstable angry personality, guardian of the dead. This has to be Charon, the ferryman of Hades._

Sensing easier prey, Charon turned his attack on Donnie and Raph. With no mental shields to soften the blow, Leo's brothers collapsed outright, clutching their heads and groaning in pain.

The crystal orb dropped from Donnie's numb fingers as he fell.

"NO!" screamed Charon.

His gaze burned a solid red, as he lept over the fallen Raphael and attempted to catch the orb before it was too late. Leo grabbed his arm and, with an effort that strained even his powerful muscles, held Charon back.

The orb slipped past the tips of Charon's fingers and shattered on the pavement.

A brilliant light shot out of the broken crystal remains and bathed them all in a deep red glow that coated the walls of the alleyway like spilled blood.

* * *

Michelangelo watched warily from his position about 10 feet away from Luna. The wraiths had not yet come into view, and he was worried about her sitting alone. Especially now that she couldn't see.

He could see, even though the shades were wrapped all around him, but he got the feeling that was a one way thing. Which was the point, he reminded himself, using the dead to hide from the undead. That was almost as clever as something Don would come up with. Of course, Don couldn't command the dead.

Mikey twitched uncomfortably and wished the shades didn't feel so slimy and cold. He shivered trying not to think too much about them as he eyed Luna again. He couldn't say for sure, but it didn't look like there were any shades hiding her.

Still, he held himself in place by repeating over and over that she was a goddess and knew what she was doing.

_Stay in the shadows_, she said.

He trusted her, but it didn't make him feel any less guilty about hiding over here when he should be protecting her. He didn't have too long to worry about it though. A few seconds later the first wraith topped the railing at the edge of the building and his mind went totally blank.

Luna felt it arrive and shivered in trepidation.

_This is for Michelangelo _she reminded herself sternly. _If I don't get rid of these wraiths quickly, then they are going to find him. Those shades can't protect him forever._

With that thought, Luna pushed herself to her feet and stepped around the A/C unit; sliding each foot forwards carefully and testing her balance before putting her weight on it. She was actually quite glad she couldn't see the wraith. The last one she saw was not pretty, and she doubted this one was any different.

In fact, it wasn't.

Michelangelo could have told her, if he could have spoken through lips gone numb with fear. The wraith was a putrid green and ghastly to look upon. It had a snarling demon like face, with sharp gnashing teeth, a long pointed nose and yellow eyes that were filled with hunger and madness. Horns rose from it's skull and clumpy, unkempt bunches of green fur covered it's head.

Thankfully, most of it's body was covered in a large dark green cloak that billowed and glowed with the same sickly color of gaseous green as it's face. Only it's hands were exposed, crooked into deadly looking claws with long conical nails that looked like they could puncture armor.

It didn't seem to have any legs and it exuded noxious fumes that made him gag. It was the most terrifying thing Mikey had ever seen. It opened it's mouth and let out a moan, and a wave of hunger, pain, longing and sadness hit him so hard he just wanted to curl up and die.

Luna stood her ground as another joined the first. Then another. Until three distinct power sources floated in the air in front of her.

Three!

One she might have been able to bluff her way past. Three… There was no way she was going to be able to handle that many on her own.

She still had enough energy left to summon Hades, and he could easily rein in these monsters. They were from his realm, after all, and he owed her that much at the very least. As long as the shades sheltered Mikey it should be safe enough.

Michelangelo watched in horror as two more of the stupefyingly scary creatures appeared over the edge of the rooftop and settled in front of Luna. She had shocked him when she stood up and paced toward the creatures, and now he was certain they could see her.

His face hardened, and he shook off his fear to began easing his way towards her. He moved very slowly, and felt the shades move along with him. They really didn't want to get any closer to the wraiths, and they began to murmur around him in protest.

The wraiths seemed confused and milled around in place. Luna couldn't tell if they were perplexed by her partially shielded power levels, couldn't figure out why she wasn't screaming, or if they sensed Mikey but couldn't find him.

She didn't care, any delay was good. She reached inside and began to weave her summoning spell for Hades.

Suddenly, Luna felt Mikey moving up behind her. What was he doing? She tried to wave him off. Any change might send the wraiths into attack mode before she was finished. When he didn't respond to her wave, she hissed at him from the side of her mouth.

"Michelangelo! Keep back!"

He ignored her protest, determined to not let her stand alone, and kept moving toward her ever so slowly. Finally he stood so close he was almost pressed against her back.

"Can they see me?" he whispered.

"No," she whispered angrily back, trying not to draw any more attention to him.

She couldn't summon Hades here if Michelangelo insisted on being involved. She couldn't risk another god seeing his vast potential.

But Michelangelo had another plan in mind. Without warning, he shoved Luna behind him, shielding her with his invisible form.

The wraiths advanced, swarming towards the place where she had just disappeared, and Michelangelo attacked. He darted in between the three forms dishing out blows in a fluid series of moves. It would have been impressive if any of them had landed, but his weapons passed right through the nightmarish forms.

When his nunchucks didn't hit anything, it threw him completely off balance. He staggered into the cloak of the first wraith and the shades abandoned him, unable to hold their shield under the wraith's touch.

Now that the wraiths could see him, he was an irresistible lure to their hunger. They turned away from Luna to pursue him, and Michelangelo rolled smoothly under their non-existent feet. He lept up, fired some shuriken at them, and fell back to lead them further from Luna, but the throwing stars just passed through.

Michelangelo was phenomenally fast, dodging and bouncing all over the rooftops but the wraiths were not bound to Earthly rules like gravity and physics. Nothing he did seemed to slow them at all.

Luna collapsed on the gravel of the rooftop, her injured legs unable to hold her upright any longer. She couldn't actually see what was going on, but she had a pretty good idea where everybody was, since she could mentally "see" the power sources moving around.

The wraiths were almost on top of him, when Luna gathered her remaining power and blasted a bolt of hard silver light across the rooftop. They scattered, the wraith closest to him howled in injury. At least she'd tagged one.

She sensed the remaining wraiths turn towards her with even more malevolence and she screamed, panicked, unable to escape. Mikey's head snapped around at the scream. He dodged and charged back toward her as fast as he could. He lept over Luna just as a wraith raised its arm to strike. With no options left, he took the blow meant for her.

A swipe of seven horribly long claws.

Michelangelo shrieked as they tore deep gouges across his face, shredding his mask and just missing his left eye. He clutched at his wound, but still managed to land between them, and twist his shell protectively over Luna. He dropped to his hands and knees and crouched over her body, using his larger form to shelter her.

He quivered and grunted as blow after blow rained down on him, slicing out pieces of his flesh, and puncturing his shell. He refused to cry out again. He may not be able to strike at them, but to get to her, they were literally going to have to go through him.

He held his breath, and prayed he was strong enough.

Blood flowed freely from his wounds, dripping onto Luna and coating her skin. The warmth of his blood shocked her, and she reached desperately inside for the power to save him. The small trickle she had left wasn't enough.

She could not stop them.

"Michelangelo!"

It came out as a choked whisper, as she reached up to touch his face. Tears gathered in his eyes and mixed with hers as they rained down. His pain and despair washed over her. There was only one thing she could do now.

Her face illuminated with a soft moon-glow and his eyes opened wide. She leaned up and placed a kiss on his undamaged cheek, her lips lingering on his skin. With that kiss, she drew his agony into herself and gave him the serenity of the stars.

In response, he closed his eyes, breathed out slowly, and relaxed. Briefly, he touched his forehead to hers, a frighteningly tender action that silently accepted this end.

"I swore," he whispered. "I swore to protect you..."


	23. Yes, you're worth the price

**Yes, you're worth the price**

Leonardo was blinded by the light for a few vital seconds, and the thug twisted out of his hold. Darkness fell back over the alley, and Leo surveyed it intently. Charon had completely vanished in the confusion.

All the supernatural entities had disappeared. The creepy moving shadows included.

They should be going too. The police were probably on their way after that light show. It might be a few more minutes before someone was brave enough to phone it in, but they couldn't count on it.

Leo regarded the carnage in the alley around him impassively. He expected to feel guilty about these people. Instead, all he felt was a sort of grim relief that they could no longer harm his mate.

_Never again._

He noted that a few of them had been taken out with blunt force trauma and not damage from his blades. He wasn't alone in his vengeance. Shaking his head, Leo closed his eyes and forced himself through some calming exercises. His bloodlust was slowly replaced with a more immediate concern for his family.

He moved toward his brothers. They were coming around; testing their muscles and climbing to their feet. He checked Donnie over carefully, but his wounds seemed superficial; mostly cuts and bruises.

He gave Raph a visual once over from a few feet away, knowing his brother well enough that he wouldn't approach until the battle rush wore off.

"Geez Leo," Raph said, still shaking his head to clear it. "How come d'at immortal creep didn't drop ya' like it did us?" His voice deepened with anger and scorn.

Leo ignored his tone. Losing made Raph angry and even after all these years, Raph hated looking weaker than Leo. Leo sighed. Some things would never change, no matter how close they got.

"Luna." Leonardo answered quietly, watching jealousy flare in Raph's eyes.

Raphael quickly suppressed the emotion. Luna was not his. She deserved Leo. He was sure Leo knew how he felt; he also knew Leo forgave him for it. Constantly. It was in his nature.

Leo continued with his explanation, choosing his words very carefully. There was no reason to hurt his brother further.

"The other night, when she… stepped in to stop my nightmares... she wove me a" Leo paused looking for the correct term. "shield."

Leonardo was about to explain further when Don interrupted.

"Uh guys," he was moving toward the back of the alley into the dead end. There was a small flickering pulse of light that looked very familiar. Raph and Leo moved closer to check it out.

"Sol?" Don asked, surprised, as Leo's eyes widened.

But this wasn't Sol. Leo had never seen Sol change color. Even when it was enraged at Luna's 'condition' in the Fall, it was still blue.

Leo shuddered, shying away from that memory, unable to acknowledge the fact she had died. She was still recovering and it hurt to even think about. He forced himself to focus on the here and now, dismissing those thoughts. She was safe at home with Michelangelo standing guard.

This fire creature was definitely red. But it looked just the same. Could it be one of the missing pieces?

"It must have been the red that we saw in the crystal." Donatello said keeping his voice low. He remembered how skittish Sol was when it first encountered them. "I wonder... does he already have the others?"

He and Raph exchanged a quick glance and fell back as one when Leo approached. After all, the first piece had bonded to him immediately. They didn't want to impede this one.

Leonardo made his way slowly over to where the little red flame was hovering near the back of the alley. He smoothed his voice to be as gentle as possible.

"Hello, little one. Are you injured? Were you trapped in that crystal?"

Leo waited for some kind of response. It flinched back when he first started speaking and now looked like it was trying to flatten itself against the brick wall behind it.

"Don't be afraid." Leo tried again quietly. "I have a friend like you named Sol. What's your name?"

Silence.

Leo exchanged a wary glance with Don. They couldn't stay in this alley much longer, the police might be here any minute.

Leo turned back to address the little red flame, but it had moved. It was floating slowly and cautiously away from him and toward... Raphael?

Raph backed up a step and it stopped. He looked at Leo confused. Leo gave him a nod that said, "You try, we've got to get out of here!"

Raph glared at him and mumbled "Are ya' kiddin'?" under his breath, but Leo just gave a little hurry up motion.

"Uh... 'Ey little flame thing." Raphael said awkwardly. "What's ya' name?"

_Great,_ he thought. _Ya' sound real intelligent there, tough guy._

_fina._

It was a very quiet, hesitant projection, not at all like Sol's bright little tone. Raph froze in mid tirade. It had answered him.

"Fina, huh. Well I, uh... know ya' goddess. D'at is, if ya' are a part of a goddess' soul."

He trailed off self consciously, rubbing the back of his neck. How the heck was he supposed to talk to this thing?

"Ya' wanna come an' meet her? I mean, we're goin' ta her now, if ya' wanna come." he ended lamely.

_luna?_

Raph wished Mikey were here. That quiet question made him want to shout 'alright!' and slap a high three, but he was too self conscious to try it with Don.

Despite the carnage and disappointments of the evening, this was definitely a piece of Luna's soul. And for some strange reason, it only wanted to talk to him. He cracked a cocky smile.

"Yeah, Luna. She's been looking everywhere for ya'. So let's not keep her waitin', 'K?"

That sounded a little better. More confident.

Raph headed up the nearest fire escape. Fina, bobbing alongside, kept even with his fast bounding movements. Leo and Don were right behind him. They moved over the rooftops to put some distance between them and the battle but it wasn't long before Leo called a halt to talk with Fina.

He hadn't even formed a question, just turned in Raph's direction, when he was abruptly interrupted by a bright blue light that streaked across the sky and smacked into his head.

Sol began frantically shoving visions in front of his eyes. Very clearly upset about something.

"Sol," Leo said out loud, trying to hold on to his calm, "Slow down, I can't understand!"

The visions repeated in sequence, a little slower.

_The sense of eating while chatting with  
__an amused Mikey in the infirmary._

_An armchair in Donnie's lab, and sunlight  
__warm on his face, eyes closed, serene._

_Darkness, amazing starlight, open spaces  
__and an internal but visible soft glow._

_Then a concerned Mikey surrounded by whirling,  
__twisting shadows, just like Leo'd seen tonight in the alley._

A chill went down his spine as suddenly the vision went third person again, like a camera, and there was sound. Leo knew that meant Sol had separated from Luna. Why would he leave her?

The next projection enraged him all over again.

_Luna's tiny pale form, huddled in Mikey's arms.  
They were hiding in the shadows on a rooftop,  
her eyes were white, and her voice was full of fear:_

_"Sol! Leave me now. Go directly to Leo!  
Don't stop and don't get close to the wraiths!"_

_Mikey seemed to look directly at him, his eyes as large as saucers._

_"I've got her Sol, you go!" he whispered_

Followed by the most blood curdling, banshee wail Leonardo had ever heard.

* * *

Don and Raph had been waiting patiently as a minute passed, then two. Leo had that blank look on his face that said Sol was showing him something.

Suddenly, Leo's head snapped up, his eyes were feral, and his hands clenched into fists.

"They're under attack!" Leonardo growled.

"In the lair?" Raph barked amazed.

"On the rooftops."

No one delayed to ask for an explanation.

Leonardo took off toward the only place he thought Mikey might take her to stargaze. The abandoned tenement building just past April's apartment. The one where Don had rigged the elevator.

His heart pounded in his throat, and he struggled to push past his anger that she was under attack.

Again.

And he wasn't there.

Again.

He had to focus, had to think. He could not fail her.

_"Your problem bro, is that ya try to cover every contingency ya'self and don't trust your brothers to help ya."_

Raph's words from that fateful night came back to him. They were a team, and besides his mate, a member of that team was under attack. He needed them all to sort this out. Leaping to the next building, Leo caught Donatello's eye.

"What do you know about wraiths?" he called.

"Wraiths?" Don asked, as they continued to sprint across town.

"Hmm, the word itself is from a Scottish dialect and means 'ghost' or 'spirit'. It was originally used to mean a ghostlike image of someone seen shortly before or after their death. Kinda like a bad oman."

There was a pause while they crossed a particularly large gap. Don wondered if they were headed towards April's place. Would Mikey have taken Luna there? He got back to his explanation.

"It has also been used to describe a much more powerful type of spirit called a 'soul eater'. Fantasy writers have been using the term to refer to all kinds of monsters in literature for years. It's been used for everything from banshees to the grim reaper himself..." Don continued.

"I don't know if I've ever heard it associated with Greek mythology specifically. Maybe Sol knows?"

"Sol?" Leo said aloud, "Do you know what a wraith is?"

_bad._

"Can you tell everyone what you know?"

Sol left Leo's head and coalesced to orbit around it in an agitated manner. It projected the answer to all of them, and a very startled Leonardo just about fell off the next building.

The projection came in Luna's voice. Sol was obviously repeating something Luna said earlier, but it was weird to hear her voice coming out of thin air.

_"They're a hybrid being. A cross between phantasms and demons, and they are eternally hungry. When they feed, they drain power from unwitting mortals; and immortals if they can catch them. They are slaves to whoever summons them and are usually sent to hunt down a specific victim and drag their soul to Tartarus."_

"Demons?" Raph exclaimed in disbelief, he looked to Don for clarification.

"Well, demons are considered malevolent spirits or fallen angels that have to be summoned" Don began. "And phantasms are mental figments, usually attributed to a disordered mind. So if it is a hybrid we may not be able to touch it physically."

"Tha' means Mikey ain't gonna be able to do nothin' to protect 'er!" Raph said his own anger rising.

"And most likely, neither are we…" Don began when Leonardo stopped dead in the middle of a rooftop.

_fear….. Fear…...FEAR! Terror…..Desperation…. AGONY!_

Emotions were pummeling his mind, from inside his shields.

"LUNA!" Leo screamed. Her grief and anguish, flowing through their bond, made Leo clutch his head and fall to his knees. Don and Raph ran to his side, uncertain how to help.

_stop!_

Sol flared brightly, its little voice echoing across the night. Leo's pain ceased abruptly as Sol cut off the flow.

The brothers stared up as Fina and Sol shot toward each other, like two bullets of light. They spun together, shooting upwards, and leaving glowing trails like a firework. They combined, forming a bright mass that pulsed briefly then floated back down towards them.

**_we have a solution._**

It was Sol and Fina voices, but their tones were blended. Stronger, with a faint hint of the godly were much more powerful together than separately.

**_our powers activate and enhance your own._**

Leo and Raph exchanged a confused look and both turned to Don for a translation. He shrugged.

"Leo's new powers might be turned against them?" Donnie suggested, intrigued.

**_we strengthen you, you reinforce her._**

"So Sol will boast my powers, and I can somehow feed them to Luna? Will that be enough to fight off the wraiths?" Leo asked.

**_sol cannot do it alone. fina must be bonded._**

"No problem." Leo turned to his brothers.

"If I pass out, wake me however you can. Mikey and Luna are running out of time." he said.

He took a firm stance and braced himself for the powerful experience he remembered from Sol. He beckoned to the glow, "Anytime you're ready Fina."

_no._ Fina's voice said softly.

"NO?" Leo's gaze darkened.

_leo is strong._ Sol's voice said gently, almost sadly. _but leo is mortal. his soul is already full._

"How is that the answer than!" Raph said angrily.

**_it can be done with a sacrifice._**

"Anything!" Leo practically begged.

Donatello was more cautious. He put a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"It's dangerous to agree blindly to a sacrifice when dealing with gods, Leo. What if that sacrifice is you? Or one of us?" Don faced the large glow. "What is the nature of this forfeit?"

**_leo must concede._**

"I'll submit to anything you want!" Leo's voice cracked.

_**even to sharing your mate?**_

"What?" All three mouths fell open.

_**red is acceptable. fina can offer a bond.**_

_only if leo agrees._ Sol added quietly.


	24. Hell Bent, Heaven Sent

**Hell bent, Heaven sent**

Raphael couldn't believe what he was hearing. Fina wanted to bond with _him_? Luna would have two soulmates? How would that even work? He was torn. His honor would not to allow Leo to destroy himself that way, but Raph had to admit that he wanted this.

He was already in love with the girl.

He met Leo's gaze. It tore him up to see the pain growing there as Leo thought about what this would mean. This girl was everything Leo ever wanted. How could he even think about this?

But, if Leo didn't allow the bond, how could they save Luna and Mikey from something they couldn't fight?

Leonardo closed his eyes in pain and bowed his head.

_I lost her once... before I even knew there was a bond.  
__It almost destroyed me._

_Rejecting this would damn her and my little brother.  
__I would give my life for either of them, is my love a higher price?_

"I concede." Leo whispered.

* * *

Luna shrieked as the wraiths tried to drag Michelangelo away from her. She grabbed desperately at his shell, feeling his arms close around her protectively, even as they flew into the air.

The wraith threw them back against the closed door to the elevator shaft, howling in anger. Mikey twisted in the air to cushion her impact, and hit shell first. Luna heard pieces of his already abused body shatter at the impact.

She lay still for a moment where she had fallen on top of Mikey's panting chest. He wasn't trying to get up, and the wraiths were closing in.

She finally surrendered to the despair she was holding inside and moaned, a deep hopeless tone.

It was her fault, all her fault.

This beautiful creature, this loving, happy, carefree being, who brought such life and joy was going to be extinguished in front of her. He would never have encountered these monsters, never been up against something he couldn't fight, if she just hadn't taken shelter with them.

Michelangelo stirred at the moan, and struggled to lay her gently down at his side.

"Don't worry, Sleepy Moon." he whispered, as if reading her mind. "You are the _best _thing that _ever _happened to us."

"No," she wept, "I've destroyed you."

With great effort, he summoned a smile. It was tired and filled with pain but completely genuine. He reached out to her slowly, stroked her cheek and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"I love you, little sister. I'll always protect you. No matter what."

Then, despite his mortal injuries, he struggled to his feet and limped in front of her prone form; prepared to make his last stand.

* * *

The brothers raced across the remaining rooftops faster than they ever had in their lives; flanked by two immortal fragments of a goddess' soul. They reached the final fire escape to the building, and didn't even slow. Swinging and climbing over each other in their haste, Donatello, Leonardo and Raphael made the final leap onto the rooftop and stopped stunned.

The stillness lasted only a moment before Donatello shot to his fallen brother's side. His eyes drowning in horror as he categorized all the splintered bones, bleeding gashes and horrible contusions on Michelangelo's body.

Mikey's face was a mangled mess, his mask gone. His left eye had swollen almost shut. His shell was broken, missing large pieces, and his tender back and spine lay exposed.

His breath was so shallow, it took Don several seconds to make sure he _was_ still breathing.

Luna lay behind Mikey on the concrete in front of the elevator. Don didn't know how badly she was injured but his sensitive ears picked up her quiet weeping. She was still alive.

Right now he couldn't afford to take his hands from Michelangelo. Not if he wanted his brother to survive.

Leonardo and Raphael peeled off in different directions and prepared to flank the ghastly creatures. The power emanating from the two turtles was an enticing lure for the wraiths, and they turned aside from, the now weaker, Luna and Mikey to pursue these new targets.

Leo's first powerful sword thrust went right through a wraith's body.

"Donnie was right!" Raph yelled as his throwing stars passed harmlessly through the wraith nearest him. "Now what?!"

_now us!_

Fina and Sol moved as one towards their bonded and dove into their rapidly moving forms.

Leo's blades erupted in blue light and his next stroke caused a wraith to scream and writhe in pain. He pushed the oozing creature back with blow after blow, moving rapidly to counter the third when it tried to get in behind him.

Raph's sai changed as well. Fina crowed in his mind as each sai was coated in red fire. With every twirl and flourish, his blades produced a brilliant fireball that shot towards the wraiths as if pulled by a magnet.

But they were still fighting a losing battle.

The wraiths began to heal, almost as fast as they were injured; drawing power from the injuries they had inflicted on their previous prey.

Leo continued fighting as if possessed, but Raph was paying attention.

"Leo!" Raph called as he lept and bound to avoid an attack, "Lay off! Send the power to Luna! We aren't doing enough damage alone!"

Leo backed off, reached for Luna and panicked. He couldn't locate her. Then he remembered Sol had blocked her from him.

"Sol!" Leo shouted, "You're keeping me out! I can't feel her!"

_prepare yourself… _Sol said quietly, then opened the link.

* * *

Luna lay sobbing quietly into the blackness behind her eyes, overwhelmed by Mikey's agony and her own sorrow, when the sound of a voice she would know anywhere broke through her tangled thoughts.

_"Sol! You're keeping me out! I can't feel her!"_

Leonardo was here!

Moments later, a blinding light smashed into her forehead. She saw blue, then red, as energy flooded into her core like a tidal wave breaking over the shore. Suddenly Luna found herself on her feet, braced in front of Michelangelo and Donatello, without a clear recollection of moving.

Sol had returned with reinforcements.

Her eyes filled with an unearthly blue glow, that did not fade. She could see, and the nightmare was worse than she had imagined.

Michelangelo, who had filled her days with sunshine, love, and reassurance, lay destroyed at her feet. Portions of his beautifully patterned shell had been broken. His arms and legs had been punctured in dozens of places, and muscles were torn away.

She gasped as the pain and agony she was still keeping from him ran through her once again. But, even now, Mikey clutched his weapons and groped weakly at her ankle, trying to get her to move back.

She forced her eyes away from him. First she must take care of the danger, then she could see he was healed properly. She changed her focus as the influx of power demanded her attention.

She recognized the cool, blue, healing energy of Leonardo, but it had been magnified by Sol a thousand-fold. It healed all her own injuries, and forged an even tighter bond between them. So powerful was the flow that it followed the silver thread of her celestial life force back to it's source and strengthened the connection, letting through an enormous wave of her own inherent power.

Intense silver light rushed over her body as she turned to face the three grotesque green creatures quivering in the air before her. She expanded the light into a glimmering silver shield, protecting herself and those she stood before from the draining, despairing cries of the wraiths.

The shield accomplished, a blinding rage began to build within her. Her family had been brutally attacked and a member nearly killed trying to defend her. How dare these insignificant demons think to harm what was hers!

Her eyes glazed with Mikey's agony and her own rage, she raised her hands and prepared to send them back to Hades.

Orange, red, and golden fire flared to life in her palms and flowed down her hands, dripping with a hiss onto the gravel of the rooftop. Startled, she dropped her gaze to them.

_RED? Sol can only summon cold, blue fire!_

Her rage surged again and overwhelmed that moment of doubt. This fury carried the tang of a deep volcanic pit. The kind of natural, bountiful, violence that had been boiling beneath the surface for years. This anger wasn't entirely her own.

_Raphael! _ she realised. _She could feel Raphael! _

But that meant another soul piece had returned, but which one? The red flames gave her the clue.

_Fina? _she whispered.

_here! _

Luna's face lit with an almost unholy glee.

_Fina, we're gonna set the world on FIRE!_


	25. So you wanna play with magic?

**So you wanna play with magic?**

All eyes snapped to Luna, as her silvered form began to rise into the air. She brought both arms overhead and fire ran from her palms down her arms. Her hair burst into flames, that did not consume, and she suddenly resembled her father.

"A message for your master." She hissed, her voice reverberating with a deafening, thunderous echo. She lowered her arms to her sides and as she raised them again she had beautiful, fiery wings.

"I am the daughter of light_, _heir to daybreakand twilight_. _I claim these incredible beings," she gestured across the rooftop, "as _mine _by right of family and mate."

"Tell your master, if they ever _fuck _with what's mine again, be they mortal or god, I _will_ destroy them!"

With a keening cry, her body shimmered and transformed into a brilliantly plumaged firebird. The brothers could only stare as she swooped low over their heads, let out a scream of outrage, and scorched the wraiths to dust.

Before they could really recover from that bold transformation, the incredible firebird came to rest behind Mikey's body and shimmered back into Luna's human form. But this was a Luna that Don almost didn't recognize. She was still petite and pale, but she radiated power. Her hair flamed, and her face was twisted with wrath.

As she stepped gracefully towards them, the very air trembled.

Donatello refused to move from Mikey's side. As imposing and wild as she looked at this moment, he had faith she would not harm them. After all, she'd just claimed them as family.

Besides, he was too busy applying pressure to some of Mikey's worst injuries. Trying to stop the bleeding, even though his heart knew it was a futile effort.

"Donnie," Mikey quavered.

It was the first time Michelangelo had spoken since they arrived and Don was glad his brother could still recognize him. Don leaned in closer to hear.

"I'm here Mikey." Don said softly.

"Luna! Don't let the ghosts get her bro… I swore… she would be safe…" he gasped.

"She's all right Mikey. The wraiths are gone." Don said gently. "You did it, you kept her safe."

Michelangelo smiled.

A soft, satisfied, sigh escaped his lips.

"Mikey? " Don said urgently, as he felt Mikey's pulse begin to waver. "Stay with me Mikey!"

"Luna!" Don cried, turning frightened eyes her way, "He's dying!"

She approached swiftly, trying to control the rage inside her at Michelangelo's condition. Anger would not help him now. She would cage it for a time, until she found out who had summoned those demons.

Her hair gradually stopped flaming and settled in a more human red color, her eyes faded to gleaming blue, and her pale skin was no longer coated in silver. Finally, she knelt by Michelangelo.

One tiny hand began to give off her softer moon-glow, and she passed it over the top of Mikey's body from head to foot. She exchanged a long, weighted glance with Donatello.

Don felt his throat tighten. Was there nothing she could do?

"Leonardo," she called out wearily "I need you."

It was only then that Don realized his brothers had not followed her to Mikey's side. He looked around to see them both sitting dazed on the gravel of the rooftop.

When Sol opened the connection to Luna, neither of them had been prepared. Even Leo's reaction earlier hadn't been enough warning. They had been blindsided by the unimaginable despair of a goddess and the agony of a dying brother.

It was the perfect emotional storm, and they had been driven to near unconsciousness.

Leo looked up at her call. Despair, fear, and agony still swirled in his gaze, but his eyes never made it to hers. They brushed Mikey's body and he froze, staring at his little brother, completely horrified.

"Raphael?" Luna called, her tone desperate.

Raph responded instinctively to her unspoken plea. He struggled to his feet, wiping away his own tears, and roughly hauled Leo up. They made their way over to Luna somewhat awkwardly, Raph practically dragging Leo along.

Raphael couldn't bear to look at his youngest brother himself. Michelangelo was completely covered in blood. Don's hands still tried to hold some of it inside. But Leo couldn't seem to look away.

Luna met Raph's eyes as he deposited his anguished brother next to her. They were an odd mixture of human and goddess.

He saw fear than confidence , insecurity than hope flash through those glorious eyes in rapid succession. It was as if two separate parts of her were at war.

Raph wanted the world to stop. He wanted to call a timeout, like they had when they were kids. He wanted just a moment to grab Luna up, examine her closely, and convince himself she was safe.

But he couldn't. Life didn't work that way. And he dared not start something with Leo right now, when his little brother's life hung so precariously in the balance.

Raph started to back away, putting a safe distance between them when Luna's beseeching eyes met his again.

"Stay with me?" she pleaded.

God help him, he was lost to that gaze. He would never be able to refuse her anything.

Raphael hurried around to her other side and sat, catching Don's eye. Don raised an eyebrow at Raph's quick compliance.

Interesting... Don filed the that information away to consider later.

Luna gently touched Leo on the shoulder and the change in him was instantaneous. He suddenly seemed to snap out of his daze, spun to her and crushed her to his chest, burying his face in her hair.

"Luna! God, I thought I'd lost you again!"

"Leo, love," she gently pushed him away. "I know you're in shock. I didn't have the time to take the power from you the way I should have, but Mikey needs your help now."

"Of course." Leo blinked sadly at her, struggling to resume his leadership mask. "But I'm afraid I'm not sure how to do it."

"Bullshit!" Raph burst out. "You've healed Luna twice, ya' don't get to bow out now d'at Mikey needs ya!"

The look that Leo directed his way could have leveled mountains. "I don't know how I did that, with her it's totally instinct." he snapped. "If I could control it consciously, don't you think I'd be right there saving my little brother?"

Luna merely squeezed both their hands.

"Don't worry, I'll guide you through it."

* * *

_Raphael?_

It was _her _voice inside his head, and thankfully she didn't sound angry about his outburst.

Now that he was bonded to her, being in her presence was a whole new experience. It was staggering and he understood, in a way he never could before, why Leo had locked himself away from her when she first awoke.

He closed his eyes.

It was so difficult to think near her.

For a few solid heart beats he did nothing but bask in the echo of her voice in his head, feeling the energy flow back and forth between them through the new bond.

He let her essence seep into every part of him like a soothing balm, filling up all the empty spaces in his heart, and for once in his life, he felt true peace.

No anger, no self condemnation, no pride, no rivalry, guilt, or fear.

Serenity and tranquility claimed his soul. In sudden insight, he realized this was the reason Splinter and Leo meditated. They were reaching for this state of perfection.

It had taken the will of a goddess to bring it to his fiery soul.

_Beloved, _she called again, _do you feel where the energy flows? _

Raph finally found the focus to answer.

_Yeah. _

_Concentrate your thoughts on me, and let your strength flow like a stream through that connection. _

He focused on her. It was easy to do since he was so aware of her next to him he was practically counting her every breath, and tried to do as she asked.

Her glow intensified and Raph felt dizzy.

_Easy, dear one. _She admonished with a smile. _That's more like a river! _

Eyes closed, Raph still felt the smile. It was like the sun coming up, warm upon his skin. He forced himself to relax and slowed down his "stream."

* * *

_Leonardo? _

Leo felt her in his mind. With two soul pieces regained and an increased tie to her own powers, her essence was even stronger than it had been before. He was totally awestruck.

_I am not a stranger, my love. _Luna reassured him. _I am still yours, now and always. _

He felt her probe gently at the sorrow and guilt surrounding his thoughts. Felt her realize his fear of losing her, not just to danger, but to Raph.

_How can you say that? _Leo asked. _How can you share this bond with more than one?_

_Do you not share the bond of brotherhood with three others? _she replied. _Do you not care for each of them?_

_But this is more! _he cried, unable to articulate the tangle of emotions.

There was a long pause as she considered how best to answer him. Perhaps he would not believe until he was shown.

**_I am more…_**

She finally answered, lowering her shields, just a little, so he could understand.

She let him see only the barest glimpse, but it blew him away. This incident and the new soul had changed her. She was slowly recovering her godhood, and he now realized that meant more than just power.

He sensed a vast presence as she showed him the flow through her silver laced connection. An amazing intelligence, superseded only by her capacity for emotion. His mind boggled.

She'd only shown him a glimpse, and she was not yet at full power. No wonder her human form seemed so frail, trying to contain all that glory.

But behind all that, there was a torrent of feeling that swirled only around him. His life, his form, his soul, was precious to her beyond words. He was the first being, mortal or otherwise that she had ever loved.

It warmed him, filled him, and pushed all his doubts aside. She did still need to be with him, perhaps even more than he needed her.

_I love you Leonardo. No one can take your place. Just as no one will be able to take Michelangelo's place if we let him go.  
Please dearest, let us tend to him…_

* * *

"She's all right Mikey. The wraiths are gone." Don said gently. "You did it, you kept her safe."

Michelangelo sighed in relief and let himself fall into the darkness, his soul no longer tortured by the fear that his incredible sister was going to die. He had done it. He'd protected Leo's mate long enough for them to save her.

She had taken his physical pain and agony away, and her gentle touch was what he wanted to remember.

He felt a new bolt of sadness rip through him though, as he thought about leaving his brothers behind.

And his father, who he would never see again. Would Splinter have been proud of him? Accepted his sacrifice?

_yes. _

A soothing, calm voice, a voice he would know anywhere, answered that unspoken question.

_Leo? _Mikey was startled.

_I am here, __little brother__. And Splinter could not be more proud of you than I am in this moment. I will never be able to thank you. Luna lives because of your courage. _

An intense chill swept through his body, and Mikey shuddered, but it was followed by a feeling of warmth and safety.

_I was afraid to die alone, _Mikey thought, _but I promised to protect her. She's so good... for all of us._

_You are not alone Michelangelo, I am here. _

There was great sadness in his voice.

The cold returned and increased, but warmth replaced it quickly. It was getting hard to think straight.

_I'm sorry I can't stay… I want to stay. _ Mikey said. _Tell Donnie and Raphie, I- I love them. _

_It's all right Michelangelo. Rest now. I will take care of everything. _

Then all was silent.


	26. Battle Scars

**Battle scars**

Donatello jerked upright as his head once again began to tilt involuntarily down to his chest. He had way too much going on to fall asleep right now. He was holding down the fort despite his own weariness. He'd sent everyone else off to bed hours ago. They all needed rest after this evenings trials and he needed the quiet to concentrate.

He rubbed his eyes lightly, removing the last of the earlier tear marks, as he pushed away the latest test results and got up from his chair in the lab. He stretched, giving his stiff muscles a moment to adjust. It was time to check on his patient anyway. As he headed for the infirmary, he wondered again why he had allowed his brothers to build it so far from the lab. It seemed as if most of his time lately had been spent walking back and forth between the two locations.

He yawned again, sighed quietly to himself and decided to detour into the kitchen for another cup of coffee.

Caffeine acquired, Donnie headed through the living area. It was dark, but he didn't bother turning on the lights. He'd walked this path so many times, he could do it blindfolded. Besides, he didn't need the light to wake anyone. They might leap to the conclusion that something was wrong.

He paused by the couch noting that Luna had finally crashed. He grabbed up the old quilt from the back of the recliner and draped it gently over her, nodding to Sol and Fina as he did so.

"Didn't she ask you two stay with _them_?" He whispered to the two little flames.

Sol dimmed slightly, as if caught doing something it shouldn't and shot off towards Leo's room. Fina flared a bit defiantly and stayed where it was.

"Suit yourself." Don shrugged, and headed on to the infirmary.

He still hadn't figured out how pieces of a person's, or in this case goddess', soul could become personified and act independently, or even contrarily, to the original persons wishes. He made a mental note to discuss that with Luna after the current crisis was resolved. If they were going to find the rest of her soul, it would help to understand what the remaining pieces might be thinking.

As he rounded the last corner of his route, he stopped abruptly. Someone was in there. A soft light flowed out through the door, even though Don knew he hadn't left any on during his previous visit.

It wasn't Leo or Raph, both of them were out cold in their rooms. Neither could calm down once they were home, and Luna had finally ordered them into their beds and knocked them out mentally. It looked kind of like Luna's moon-glow, but it couldn't be, since he'd just seen her in the living room.

Don flattened himself against the wall and peered every so cautiously around the door jam.

Michelangelo was still laid out on the stainless table in the middle of the room, a light sheet pulled up to his chest, just as Don had left him. Standing on the other side of the table was someone, or something, Don didn't know.

His skin tingled ever so slightly.

Don's heart pounded as adrenaline hit his system, and he began to ease himself back towards the living area and Luna. That glowing form was definitely an immortal and Don had no intention of facing one of those alone.

A quiet, respectful call stopped him in his tracks.

"Hamato Donatello"

It came from the immortal. How the heck did it know his name? Don quickly looked toward the living room where Luna lay, judging the distance. She could be here almost immediately if he shouted.

"Please… don't wake her. She needs to rest. Come in and speak with me." It called again, a soft echo of power tinting it's tone.

Against his better judgement, Don reversed his earlier decision and went to see what it wanted.

* * *

Leonardo was topside, stalking through the darkness of the night. He was angry, near to boiling, but he didn't know why. Something was missing, but he couldn't really remember what it was he was looking for. He just had to keep going until he found it.

He slipped silently down the street, kept to the shadows, and peered carefully into each alley as he passed. He stopped and narrowed his eyes toward the back of the next one. Out of the darkness, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared. It was the punk Leo and his brothers had fought.

_Didn't Donnie say his name was Charon? Some underling from the Greek underworld. _

Charon laughed evilly and loomed over the tiny, pale figure of a woman with long red hair who shook from head to toe. She looked familiar. Had he saved her before? He shook his head. It didn't matter. Whoever she was, she needed his help now.

Leo drew his katanas and ran stealthily towards them, but Raphael stopped him before he was even halfway there. Grabbing his arm, Raph swung Leo around with an intense glare.

"Let me go Raph! That girl needs help!" Leo hissed quietly.

"What are ya' doing up here?" Raph interrupted harshly. "Haven't ya' done enough damage Leo? Just stay away from her!"

"What are you talking about?" Leo said, confused.

"Ya' killed them Leo. Ya' murdered all those people. A loving, caring girl like Luna won't want yer kind of help!" Raph practically yelled.

_Luna! How could he have forgotten? Was that her down there in the alley?_

His heart skipped a beat, then began to pound. He needed to get to her, but Raph wouldn't let him go. Leo had the skill to easily break Raph's hold, but something kept him from doing so. It seemed more important somehow to convince his brother he'd done the right thing. At least the right thing for Luna and her recovery.

"Those bastards raped her Raph! They beat her senseless and when she finally escaped, fell and was helpless, they threw garbage down on her until she _died_! I never thought I'd have to explain that to _you_!" Leo defended his actions. "They didn't deserve to go on breathing the same air as her. She _might _be able to sleep now, and get on with her new life."

Raph just shook his head.

"I can't let ya' near her now. Ya' know d'at, right?" Raph said, "What if ya' snap an' hurt her too?"

"I'd _never _hurt her!" Leo objected.

"A minute ago ya' didn't even remember her name!" Raph yelled.

_True. And very puzzling. _

Something hot and wet touched Leo's hands, distracting him from the fight. He shifted his gaze to them, even though he knew it was a bad idea to take his eyes off of Raph when he was in one of his moods.

_Blood? _

It was dripping off his katana and coursing down over the handles. Blood that glowed softly like the moon.

"No!" Leo threw the swords violently from him as Raph shrieked, "Leo! What have you done?"

A scream echoed up the alleyway, and the brothers turned as one. Luna was no longer alone. She sat on the ground, sobbing brokenly over the body of their little brother. Mikey and Luna were both covered in cuts and slices. Mikey wasn't moving and Luna sat in a pool of his blood while her's ran down her arms and mixed with it causing the pool to glow softly.

She turned towards them, an orange mask in one fist. She held it to her lips to stifle her crying as tears pooled in her startlingly blue eyes and streamed down her face.

"I tried to save him." She whispered. "But he just won't wake up!"

Charon laughed, and waved them over.

"You may reclaim your brothers corpse. I already have his soul!" The guardian of the dead cackled.

"This is all your fault!" Raph screamed, turning back to Leo and drawing his sai, "Ya' left her alone with Mikey. For what? To pursue your vengeance? Our brother's _dead _Leo, and your incompetence is killing _my _mate!"

Leo shrank back against the wall, horrified.

_leo! be calm. _

The voice echoed through his panicked mind.

"Sol?" he cried out, "I didn't do it! I didn't strike them!"

"Leo they're covered in sword cuts!" Raph exclaimed.

_this fear is only in your mind. a dream. _

"But," He gestured wildly down the alley where Luna had collapsed over Mikey's chest, sobbing as if her heart was broken.

"Luna is hurt and Mikey won't wake up..." he moaned, "Raph's right, this is all my fault!"

_hush now. luna sleeps. _

The image of the alleyway shattered like a broken mirror, the pieces falling away, as Sol projected a new picture behind Leo's eyes.

It was the living room of their home. Quiet. Dark, but for the small pulsing red glow that was Fina. In that glow, Leo could see Luna was whole, uninjured, and asleep. She looked completely spent, curled up sideways on the couch.

Eerily, she had one hand wrapped in the remains of Mikey's orange mask, just like in his dream, but it was tucked up gently to her cheek. And her chest silently rose and fell with her breathing.

Donnie stood nearby, gently covering her with an old blanket.

Leo felt himself relax. Luna was ok. Donatello was on guard. He trusted Donnie.

_all will be well. _

Then a blue fog overwhelmed Leo's mind and he drifted into a dreamless darkness.

* * *

Raphael awoke with a start. Something was very wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he just had this feeling that he couldn't shake. Using all his training in stealth, he loaded up his weapons and quickly left his room.

Checking the hall for signs of life, he slunk past Donnie's room with barely a glance inside. Don, of course, wasn't there. He'd either be in the lab or the infirmary. Donnie would never take time off to rest, even as he insisted his brothers do.

Raph decided to bypass the stairs, to maintain the element of surprise, and lept silently over the railing easily sticking the landing after the fifteen foot drop. A quick look towards the infirmary showed it was dark and silent. Don must be in the lab then.

Raph couldn't bear the thought of looking in on Mikey's still form, so he slipped passed the infirmary door and moved on into the living had told him earlier that Luna had fallen asleep on the couch, so he padded across the dark floor silently to check on her. Leaning over the back, he felt his breath catch in his throat.

She wasn't there.

_Don't panic, tough guy. This happened before. She could be in the bathroom, or maybe she needed a drink, or she might even… be with Leo. _

He didn't really want to think about that but it had to be considered. Any of those would be preferable to his own wild imaginings. His feeling of foreboding only increased, however, when he checked the kitchen and bathroom with no results.

He'd climbed the stairs to the second level on the other side of the living room and was about to bust through Leo's bedroom door, no matter what he might see, when he heard a quiet thunk from downstairs and a soft female moan. It didn't take more than a moment for Raphael's mood to go from extremely worried, tense, and possibly jealous, to enraged.

Luna was the only female in the house, and that moan hadn't come from behind Leo's door.

Besides, he recognized that quiet thunk from far too many battles. It was the sound of something heavy connecting with someone's skull. Luna was under attack in their very home! With a roar he couldn't contain, Raph vaulted down the stairs and turned to the one room he hadn't already searched.

The dojo.

Raphael flung himself through the door without a second thought but came to an abrupt halt, panting, as he took in the scene in front of him.

Luna lay flat on the tatami mats they trained on, unconscious and groaning softly. Charon with his red flashing eyes, knelt across her waist. His knees pinned her wrists to the floor. He held a long tanto knife from their wall of weapons in his grasp, the sharp edge of the blade pressed tight against her throat. A small trickle of glowing blood was seeping down her neck.

"I wondered which of her 'mates' would come running" Charon cackled. "Though I am a bit surprised that you are not _all _here, since you are _so _connected." He snorted. "How could she want you mortal monsters as family?"

Raph's eyes flared as they flicked back and forth between Luna's face and the knife, but he didn't rise to the bait of being called a monster. Luna was too important to lose. He would not let his temper to get in the way of rescuing her.

Raph was too far away, at the moment, to use any of his hostage counters, but maybe he could distract this bastard with words.

"I don't know tall, dark, and _ugly_. Maybe because we love her and don't go around trying to kill her for her bits of soul?" he said.

"_LOVE? _How could _any _of you claim to love her," Charon said. "yet still leave her alone in the dark?"

"I sent Fina to make sure she had light!" Raph snapped, annoyed despite himself.

"Ah, you mean the little burning one? Thank you for that. It was easy to take down." Charon raised his other hand and shook a new crystal orb, filled with red.

"Fina!" Raph raged. "Let them go you freak!"

Charon ignored him.

"Little good it did her though. Without the other one, she couldn't see it anyway. But at least you know she fears the dark." He laughed without any real humor. "But do you know _why_?"

"Yeah, yer punks trapped her in the dark." Raph answered, easing his way toward them.

"Wrong!" Charon exclaimed. "She is the heir to sunlight and moonglow. As a goddess, both answered her call. Her temper flared like the sun and her healing love glowed soft as the moon." Charon sighed dramatically.

"Yeah? And what would ya' know of either?" Raph spat, creeping closer by the moment.

Charon didn't seem to realize Raph was moving. Geez. What was it about villains and monologues? Their mouths started moving and their brains switched off. Not that he was complainin'.

"Darkness is her antithesis, her opposite, her enemy. When she is in the dark, she is at her most vulnerable. Especially now that neither flame nor glow will answer when she calls."

Ah, well Charon obviously didn't know Luna had been reconnected to her celestial strength. Raph wasn't going to enlighten him.

"Of course one that truly _knew _her, as a mate _should _know her, would have figured that out." Charon snarled, pressing the knife more firmly against Luna's throat.

She whimpered, and Raph froze. He really needed to distract this guy with somethin'. In a sudden flash of insight, Raph thought he had the answer.

"Ya' wanted Luna, didn't ya'? And she rejected ya." He tsk'd lightly. "Well, I'm happy to tell ya', d'is certainly won't change her mind."

"It's too late for that now anyway." Charon said with a snarl. He looked up, directly into Raphael's eyes, and drew the blade firmly across Luna's throat. Fina's red light in the orb flickered and went out.

"NO!" Raph screamed and his whole world erupted in flames.

Raphael flung a hand toward Charon and a solid stream of fire shot from his palm straight into Charon's chest. Charon collapsed over Luna with a crackling, burning gurgle. His body slumped down and the mats began to ignite.

Raphael was in agony. His ploy had backfired horrendously. He waded through the fire and kicked Charon's burning body off Luna's limp form. He collapsed beside her, heedless of the flames and pulled her close, cradling her in his lap.

He closed his eyes and howled his anguish as fiery red tears traced a path down his face adding even more flame to their pyre.

_raph! the bed is on fire! _

"What?" he opened confused eyes. Why should he worry about a bed? He looked around. Their whole home was on fire, and he couldn't care less. His soul mate was gone…

_raph! stop! do you wanna kill everyone?_

The voice was extremely upset, but Raphael ignored it, beckoning the flames even higher.

"RAPH!"

Now that was a voice he knew.

Donatello.

He couldn't burn everything. Donnie and Leo were still here, and they didn't deserve to die that way. Raph regained his feet, still clutching Luna to him and concentrated. Slowly, he was able to call the fire to him. It stuttered and rolled back until it was only around his legs. Then he forced it out.

Something cold and very wet hit him in the face.

Raph sat up abruptly and looked around. He wasn't in the dojo, he was in his room, in his bed.

His now sopping wet, ash covered, and slightly smoldering bed.

Raph looked up. Donatello stood there, his eyes huge. He was holding a large, blue bucket they used for mopping up when Leo thought the kitchen looked a bit too dingy.

Raph stared at Don as if he couldn't imagine how he'd gotten there, or what he was doing.

"Raph?" Don snapped his fingers in front of Raph's face. "RAPH! ...You with me now?"

"Yeah, I… What happened?" Raph stuttered.

Don shrugged. "Dunno. Fina flew into the infirmary screaming that you were on fire. Thus…"  
He held up the large blue container as if that was enough of an explanation.

"_Was_ I on fire?" Raph asked confused.

He looked around, trying to come to some understanding of his destroyed bed and the general mess.

"You, the bed, part of the wall..." Don replied tiredly. "But most of it seemed to be smothering itself just as I came in. It was weird. I've never seen fire behave like that. I threw the water, just to be safe."

_raphael did that. _

Fina's little voice was cold.

"I didn't do nutin'!" Raph growled.

_you had a nightmare, wouldn't listen to me, and practically burned the whole place down._

"How did he do that if he was asleep?" Don asked reasonably.

He was only half paying attention to the little soul. He was more intent on grabbing each of Raph's arms in turn and examining him for burns. Besides, after everything else that happened today, arguing with a little red flame, didn't seem so strange. Although Fina was a lot more talkative than Sol ever had been. Maybe even a little bit snippy.

_he's a firestarter. every time he's angry or upset, we'll get flamed. luna's going have to train this one real quick, or we're going to have a huge problem. _

At the mention of Luna's name, Raph's nightmare came back to him full force. Just the memory of Luna's dream death had his hands flaring up.

_see what i mean?_

"I can't take anymore surprises tonight." Don sighed. "Fina, can't you control it?"

_does it look like i can control it? it's his freakin' power._

"I guess we'll be waking Luna then." Don said.


	27. Donatello's Dedication

**Donatello's Dedication**

Don dropped the bucket to the floor and rubbed a hand over his face for about the 500th time that night. He left Raph sitting in the sopping wet mess that was once his bed, while Fina scolded him nonstop.

_I'm getting too old for this._ He thought with a grim smile. Oh sure it was fine when they'd been in their teens and full of boundless energy. Now though...

Characters from Greek mythology, demons, near death experiences, firebirds, comas, gods and now the most uncontrollable and hot-headed of his brothers was a firestarter.

He shook his head. Pretty overwhelming for just one night. Was it too much to ask that it might be spread out just a little bit? Like, maybe over a few years instead?

With a sigh, Don put those thoughts aside and stopped in the infirmary, again, to check on Mikey before he went to wake Luna.

The poor girl really needed as much rest as she could get. And a small delay wouldn't hurt anything. Raph wasn't going back to bed any time soon. Now that he was awake, Fina could probably keep him in line.

Don stuck his head through the door and heaved a small sigh of relief at what he saw. Mikey was looking so much better than before. His skin was regaining it's more normal green tone and he was breathing in a soft regular rhythm. He no longer looked like a corpse laid out for a funeral.

Don even chuckled a bit as he heard a small mumble from Mikey's lips about a pizza.

It was a miraculous turn around, Don reflected. Mikey certainly wouldn't be recovering if it hadn't been for Selene. He let his thoughts drift back to his earlier conversation with the Goddess of the Moon.

* * *

Don had entered the infirmary to face this new being with a confident walk. He forced a calm exterior, but he was holding on to his coffee mug as if his life depended on it. He strode to Mikey's side, eyes never leaving the glowing form on the other side of the bed, and inclined his head respectfully.

"I am Hamato Donatello. But it seems you have the advantage of me." Don said.

The glowing form laughed, a chiming, peculiar sound, that seemed somehow familiar.

"Have we met before?" Don inquired.

Besides the very similar, though much brighter, glow she was petite like Luna. But she had a rounder face and rich black hair. It was long and piled up on her head in an elaborately intricate style. Her eyes were a deep, midnight blue that shone with tiny specks of light which Don could have sworn were stars.

Also, she was semi-transparent, much as Helios had been. From this he gathered that she was a full goddess, and not entirely in this plane, unlike Luna.

"I am Selene, Goddess of the Moon." She smiled softly, "And I am honored beyond words to welcome you and your clan into my family."

"Your family?" Don asked, confused.

"Did you think my daughter's claim a spurious one?" Selene laughed again. "I assure you Luna was quite serious. But even if she had not claimed you for her own, I would still be here. The sacrifices your family has made to protect my Luna have not escaped my notice."

She gestured to Michelangelo's ever so still form on the table. Don rested his palm on Mikey's forehead and sighed deeply.

"I don't know what's wrong with him." Don admitted. "His wounds have been healed but he just won't wake up. It's some kind of coma, but none of the tests I've run have yielded any results. His brain waves are normal, well... normal for a mutant turtle, and his body is fine. As far as the scans are concerned, Mikey is in perfect health."

Don didn't know why he was opening up to this being. After all, she could be lying about her identity. But she was here and listening, and he sensed that she truly wanted to help.

"I've formulated a few theories. Everything from mental shock to losing his soul, though I must admit I know very little about the latter, or even if we, as mutants, have one. I mean it's only just been proven, by Sol and Fina, that souls are a tangible thing that could be lost, broken, or captured and we must have something, or there wouldn't be this connection that Raph and Leo are experiencing…" He realized his brain was running off on a tangent and shut up.

Selene just smiled. "Your open mind and heart are a great gift Donatello. But then that could be inferred from your given name."

He was startled by her response to his rambling. He was used to others glaring at him and telling him to 'tone it down' or 'use English'. Well, everyone except Luna. And, he was surprised that she knew about his name. Few realized that Donatello meant gift, though his father clearly had some insight when choosing it.

Selene placed her hand on his.

"Your deep inner desire to give to others, the sharing of your knowledge, and your creative genius were not traits your father would have overlooked." She commented, making Don wonder if she was eavesdropping on his thoughts.

"And to answer your question, you and your brothers most definitely have souls. Some of the strongest and purest ones I've ever seen. A normal mortal soul would not have survived bonding with even a fragment of Luna's. It would have been absorbed wholly."

Don nodded knowingly, as if this information had not just shocked him to the core. While he processed, Selene raised her hand from his and positioned a glowing palm over Michelangelo.

"May I?" She asked.

Don nodded warily.

Selene traced her hand over Michelangelo in precisely the same manner that Luna had on the rooftop before she and Leo began their healing. Seeing this made Don feel somewhat better about letting this strange immortal near his brother.

Perhaps it was the equivalent of a godly scan. His curiosity flared and he began to observe her every move closely. Maybe, with Luna's help, he could modify this type of energy to produce a more sophisticated treatment apparatus. He blushed a bit as he felt his thoughts running away again.

Selene moved her hand gracefully from Michelangelo's head to his feet and back again. After a long silence, she paused with her hand over his heart.

"Ah" she announced softly. "Now I understand."

"Michelangelo and my daughter thought themselves lost. Luna's compassion led her to interrupt his soul's connection with his body." She continued, "My daughter absorbed his pain and the trauma of his injuries, but that left his consciousness disconnected from his mortal form. He does not know his body is healed. He has abandoned it."

Don felt his stomach clench. That explained Luna's haunted, and pain filled, gaze when they all returned home, but did that mean Mikey would never wake again?

Selene dropped her hand to actually touch Mikey, reaching up to stroke his forehead and face gently. Softly glowing tears began to form in her eyes, and as she raised her face to meet Don's amazed gaze they slowly spilled over her cheeks. A goddess was crying over his brother?

"He took such pains to care for my daughter." She said softly, "I watched him feed her, tend to her, befriend and distract her. He did his best to make her feel welcome and happy, a part of your family. Even in so short a time, he loved her."

Don's eyes had filled now. Michelangelo had always been their joy, and he had embraced Luna as family even before they had learned of Leo's bond. He was their hope when things looked darkest. What would they do without him?

"Luna's despair when she was losing him was so tangible even Zeus was affected. All of Olympus could feel her pain."

Don's hands shook as his mood went from amazed empathy with this goddess to anger. He clenched the mug he was holding so tightly that his grip went white.

"If you knew, why didn't you stop it?" Don practically yelled.

Donatello rarely lost his temper, but this was the last straw. Willful abandonment was responsible for not just Mikey's pain and coma, but for Luna's previous pain, violation, and death. Now he could add Leo's emotional pain as well. Raph would not have had to bond with Fina, if one of these gods had just stepped in!

"No parent wants their child to suffer pain and death." Selene said quietly, dropping her eyes. "While Luna's current situation is unique, her father and I would never willingly abandoned her. We would have flown to her aid but for Zeus. He forced us to stand by as they battled for their lives on that rooftop."

"But even Zeus is not heartless, nor Helios without influence. It took some time, but Zeus has been convinced that someone is interfering in his punishment." Selene stroked Mikey's cheek again. "So I have been permitted to assist in reviving this one."

Don took in a long, slow calming breath, forcing his anger to cool. This was more than he had hoped for, and he couldn't risk Selene leaving because of his temper.

"So, where is Mikey?" Don asked, uncertain about what came next.

"He has placed himself in purgatory, but he does not belong there. He must be called back." Selene replied.

"However, I am unknown to him. Michelangelo will not answer my call." The goddess stated sadly, "But he may come to you, Donatello. I will give you the strength you need to reach where he has fled, but you must convince him to come back with you."

* * *

Michelangelo was bored. Who would have thought death would be this dull? He didn't even get a chance to come back as a ghost or anything cool so he could continue to prank Raph.

He was alone in the dark.

Not that he wanted any of his bros or friends to be joining him anytime soon. He knew they had been really lucky so far, not to have lost anyone close to them.

But would it be so hard to just have, you know, a game system or something to keep occupied with until then? Heaven sure needed an overhaul.

Michelangelo tried to amuse himself.

He reviewed all the pranks he'd ever pulled on his brothers, retold all of the jokes he knew, and mentally recited his favorite recipes. He acted out his favorite cartoons, moved on to his favorite movie scenes of all time, and was even considering doing training katas as a last resort to keep the boredom at bay, when he thought he heard something.

"Mikey?" The call came again. "I know you're here somewhere. This is not the time to play hide and seek."

He knew that voice. It was Donatello!

"Donnie? Over here, dude! Argh! What happened?" Mikey asked, distraught, as Don came into view from the deeper blackness. "How are the guys and Luna gonna survive without you?"

"What?" Don snapped.

Don had been wandering around in this darkness for who knows how long, he didn't know if Selene was going to let him search much longer. Now that he'd found Mikey, he really didn't have time for hypothetical questions.

"We're dead dude… Thought you might have figured that out, with your big brains and all." Mikey replied sarcastically.

"OH, that." Don said with a shrug. "We're not dead Mikey."

Michelangelo deliberately swung his head left and right, making a show of staring into the nothingness.

"Could've fooled me!" he replied.

"God forbid I end up having to entertain you for eternity." Don grumbled, "But really Mikey, everything is ok. Leo and Luna were able to heal you in time. Your body's fine. It's just laying around like a lump taking up space in the infirmary."

"Uh-huh." Mikey said. "Nice try dude, but I think you're in denial. My poor sis was dead tired when I left, no more juice for anything. I know, I watched her try everything she could. And Leo's superpower is that emotion thing, not healing."

"Well it seems our fearless leader left out a few things when he was telling us the whole soulmate story." Don frowned, "He does indeed have a healing 'superpower' as you put it. And Luna got a bit of an upgrade when Fina bonded to Raph. She's a whole lot stronger now, and just a li-ttle bit scary."

"Luna? Scary? Don't make me laugh." Mikey grinned. "That babe is the sweetest sis a guy could have."

"An enraged sister, more like. You should've seen it Mikey. She was so ticked off her whole body caught on fire. She started making threats to whoever called those things and claimed we were all family and under her protection. Then she and Fina turned into this amazing firebird and pretty much burned those wraiths right out of existence." Don explained.

"Are you even hearing yourself right now? Where's Mr. Science gone?" Mikey asked. "Wait... who's Fina?"

Don sighed. This was not going the way he thought it would. Mikey was so sure they were both dead. What would convince him to come back?

"Another piece of Luna's soul. Looks like Sol, but red. I don't think it has quite the same powers that Sol does, but we only just met so who knows?"

Don replied absently, still trying to figure out how to change his brother's mind.

"We saved it from a Greek immortal from the underworld when we went to trap those punks. They had it caged in some sort of crystal sphere. Turns out, we needed it's power to beat the wraiths, but weirdly it only wanted to bond to Raph."

"IT BONDED TO RAPH?" Mikey yelled.

He skipped over the immortal underworld part and latched immediately on to the emotional issue as the most important factor. Leo and Raph already pushed each others buttons. How the hell were they going to handle this?

Mikey began to pace in the darkness.

"They'll drive poor Luna crazy." He muttered under his breath.

He turned decisively to Don. "So, how do we get back? Without us, they'll kill each other!"

Don just reached out, hugged his little brother, and smiled.

"Follow me to the light. I'll take you through." he said. Don didn't know the mechanics of it, he just knew Selene would bring them both back together.

Donatello finally opened his eyes and stretched out of the lotus position he'd been meditating in. It seemed like days had gone by there in the dark, but when he checked the clock next to Luna's old bed, it had only been about an hour.

Selene was gone. Don made his way over to Mikey and was encouraged by what he saw. There was actually expression in Michelangelo's face now, even though he was sleeping. Selene had said to let him rest until he woke up on his own, so that's what Don intended to do.


	28. Insights and Enemies

**Insights and Enemies**

Luna stirred restlessly, in the dark. It wasn't that the big sectional couch was uncomfortable. It was long enough and wide enough, but it was most definitely... worn. That was the nicest thing she could call it. But what else could she expect. It was probably the latest in a long line of cast off sofas to parade through their living room.

She was sure it was great for holding everybody while watching T.V. but it certainly sucked for sleeping.

She missed her futon in the infirmary, but she didn't feel right being in there next to Mikey when his brothers probably wanted to be by his side. Raph and Leo were so upset last night, she'd had to put them to sleep mentally just so they could recover a little. But she knew they would be up anytime now to check on him.

She bit her lip guiltily, as tears began to gather in her eyes once again.

_Why hadn't Mikey been ok? _

Sure, it had taken a some time to heal his injuries. Wounds from wraiths are essentially 'poisoned'. The wraiths continuing to feed off the agony they inflicted until banished, but she'd sent those particular wraiths back to Hades as nothing more than ashes. So that aspect should have been nullified.

And she'd led Leonardo through the process of purifying and healing the wounds with extra care, using energy from Raph as well, so what was left? She couldn't remember what else needed to be done. It was so frustrating, she wanted to scream!

It was just _wrong _being mortal and immortal at the same time. Her physical brain and body could only handle so much power and knowledge at once. It was a state no being was ever meant to inhabit, and she understood why Zeus cut off her powers when he made her fully mortal on this plane.

It felt like her goddess self was trying to squeeze into an outfit 12 sizes too small. In order for something to fit in, other stuff had to get out of the way.

One moment, she would be absolutely sure of something, some vital piece of information. The next moment the thought was gone, replaced by her very limited understanding of things her human brain said was possible.

And it wasn't just knowledge that was being affected. Her emotions were all over the place as well. One moment the confident goddess, the next the fearful mortal.

It was worse when Sol and Fina were away. As pieces of her original soul they expanded her celestial abilities. When they were with her, more of the knowledgeable goddess appeared. But she couldn't always keep them near. Sometimes, like last night, they needed to to watch over their bonded.

Luna sighed. Maybe today the answer would come to her.

As she pondered, she decided it was a good thing that her mental shields stayed intact, and that she'd knocked Leo and Raph out last night before she had her little emotion storm. If they felt how upset she'd been, she was sure they'd never leave her alone again.

Donatello had tried to comfort her, but in the end he could only bring her a cup of tea, and let her cry herself to sleep, because it was her fault.

All her fault.

Mikey was gone because of her weird situation. Because pieces of her soul had bonded to his family without even a by-your-leave, and because she was a magnet for immortal bounty hunters. She was sure now, that her enemy was one of the gods, or at least an immortal henchmen, but as much as she wanted to shift the blame to the 'bad guys' the truth was Michelangelo would still be whole and entirely here if not for her.

Her soulmates and even Donatello would never blame her, but she knew where the fault lay.

She sighed, hearing someone else stirring, and sat up. She quickly mopped her tear streaked face with the bit of cloth she held in her hands. It was Mikey's mask. She had clung to it all night. Hoping a little goddess-y energy might seep through to him and call him back from wherever he had gone. But that was probably just wishful thinking.

Which reminded her, she needed to call back Sol and Luna if she was going to get through this day. She sent a little thread of inquiry along her connection to Raph and Leo, and 'listened' for it to ping the locations of Sol and Fina.

Sol came zipping out to her, appearing quickly from Leo's room. Luna smiled as she regained her sight. Leo must still be asleep. Fina didn't rush back but was definitely still in Raph's room. Luna frowned.

Was something wrong with Raphael?

Just then Don wandered into the living room and saw her sitting up. Luna's frown deepened. Don looked like he'd been drug through a wringer. He was dead tired, and ...was that ash smeared across his white lab coat?

But Don had a small smile. She couldn't help herself, she smiled in return. Glad to see that _someone _was still mentally stable.

"Luna," Don said, relief evident in his voice, "I'm glad you're up."

Her smile faded, "Is something wrong? Is Mikey worse?"

"No, no… " Don reassured her. "In fact, sometime soon he's going to race through here demanding a pizza."

"What?" She exclaimed. "Did you find something new last night?"

"Actually, I had some help from the in-laws." Don chuckled.

Perhaps she spoke to soon about that mental stability. Lack of sleep was clearly taking it's toll, Luna thought. Maybe she should make him lie down.

She might need one of his brothers to help with that. She glanced up, relieved at a movement nearby, and caught Raph's eye as he headed to the kitchen for breakfast. So he was alright after all. Raph gave her a nod before continuing on.

"In-laws?" She inquired sweetly, turning back to Don with a nervous look.

"Your mother to be precise." Don replied.

"My mother." Luna looked skeptical "Here?"

"I'll fill you in on that later. Suffice it to say Mikey is on the mend and should wake up on his own sometime later today." he said.

Don grinned again, rather maniacally Luna thought. It brought to mind old black and white movies with mad scientists. All he was missing was the shock of white hair sticking up straight.

"So you came in here looking for me because…?" Luna asked, really worried now.

"Well… What do you know about firestarters?"

* * *

Charon was angry, and while there was never really a _good _time to be around the Guardian of the Dead, when he was angry would probably qualify as the worst time. And he was definitely angry now. Not only had those mortal _monsters _cut a good portion of his henchmen to shreds, but they'd managed to release one of the soul fragments he'd already captured.

But Charon contained his anger and seated himself on his throne with as much dignity as he could muster. Right now, his throne sat in a warehouse they were using as a base of operations on this plane, but soon it would command the position of highest authority in the city.

Charon took a moment to contemplate the shaking man standing in front of him with a sneer. He enjoyed the fear that played across the underlings face as he continued his mental evaluation of all the things that had gone wrong with this evening.

Not that freeing the soul fragment would do those animal freaks any good, Charon thought. As mortals, they were lucky if they could even see it, much less converse with it or use it. It had probably wandered off somewhere already. He would get it back sooner or later. After all, where was it gonna go? Luna was dead.

But it still made him angry that the blue banded animal had threatened him. He grimaced. Not that a mortal would usually be able to hurt him, but _that _one had somehow been able to pierce his mind. He pondered the implications of that. It was more powerful than it first seemed, although the others wilted rather easily under his mental onslaught.

All the animals were pretty upset that Luna was gone. Oh, they had played a fine game of unconcern, but their behavior towards his murdering henchmen told him more than any words that these _things _had somehow been involved with her. They probably had the body, or knew where it was.

It didn't matter.

Charon didn't need her corpse, he just needed the fragments of her soul.

He glanced again at the shivering man in front of him. Gauging his reaction. The angry silence had made the magician drop to his knees, groveling in fear. This was as it should be, Charon thought. Soon all would grovel before him...even his master.

This groveling human had been dabbling in the black arts long before Charon came to this plane, but he'd not succeeded in summoning wraiths until Charon had stepped in to increase his powers.

"Report!" Charon snapped, pleased with the way the man flinched at his tone.

Perhaps this miserable mortal's wraiths had located where the blue soul fragment was hiding.

* * *

Raphael slumped dejectedly down the stairs. Fina had certainly given him a piece of it's mind this morning, accusing him of putting all their lives in danger with his pyrotechnics. His automatic response was to get angry, but that just made the fire situation, and the tongue lashing, worse. He could hardly believe this was the same hesitant little being that barely spoke to them last night.

But it had a point, and it was depressing. How was he supposed to keep Luna safe if his own power could burn her to death in the middle of the night without him knowing?

Raph paused automatically near the door to the infirmary, glancing in out of habit to check on Luna, but started when he heard a loud snore and a quiet mutter. He stuck his head in to see his brother was no longer laid out all stiff and unmoving, but had assumed a classic Mikey sleeping posture on the stainless steel table.

Michelangelo lay on his front, head turned to the side, one arm shoved up under his pillow. His knees were tucked up under him pushing his butt high in the air. The other arm was hanging off the side of the table, dangling halfway to the floor, his sheet sliding off the other.

And just like that Raph's dark mood lightened. His baby brother was back. Mikey was gonna be ok. There was still hope. Life would go on, and he would learn to control this power.

Raph glanced around to make sure no one was looking before he tiptoed in and lifted the sleeping Mikey in his arms. Raph deposited Mikey gently on the futon Luna had been using, and pulled up the blankets, tucking him in. Raph turned, and before he left, patted Mikey gently on the head like he had when they were young.

"Sleep tight, little guy." Raph murmured before slipping out.

* * *

Raph had regained his confident swagger by the time he past the living room where Don and Luna were conferring. She looked up as he walked by, and when his eyes met hers, his heart gave a small flutter in his chest and began to beat faster.

The pace of events last night had been so breakneck, he hadn't had a moment to really consider what his bond meant, or what being around her now would be like.

She had deep purple marks under her eyes from worry and lack of sleep, her hair was all mussed from tossing on the couch, and she wore an expression that was just the tiniest bit confused.

She had never looked so gorgeous.

He tried to play it cool, heading on to the kitchen with just a brief nod in her direction, as Donnie was explaining something about in-laws, but his pulse was thundering in his ears. He made it out of her sight but suddenly felt dizzy. His balance was off and he staggered into the kitchen table before collapsing into a chair to hold his head in his hands.

_Geez, what was goin' on? _

"Breathe Raph." Leonardo spoke quietly so only Raphael could hear.

Raph jumped up again, startled. He'd been so out of it, he hadn't even seen Leo in the kitchen. Leo put a hand on Raph's shoulder, reseating him in the chair.

"Long, slow, deep breaths- now." Leo commanded.

That was when Raph realized, the moment she'd met his gaze, he'd stopped breathing.

Leo took the seat across the table from Raph and met his gaze seriously, as Raph forced himself to breath deeply for a few minutes.

_Here it comes. _Raph thought. _Fearless is gonna make a play for dominance. _

"She really is something, isn't she?" Leo said with a gentle smile.

Raph couldn't argue with that, so he said nothing and focused on his breathing.

Leonardo just sipped his tea and continued to regard his brother steadily as Raph slowly got himself back under control. When Leo was satisfied Raph wasn't going to pass out, he stood up, took his cup to the sink, rinsed it out, and set it in the dish drainer.

"I'll be in the dojo." Leo said amiably, and left.

Raph's brows went up. That was it? No third degree about his intentions with Luna? No demands to limit her time with him? Hmm. This might work after all. He frowned.

If he could remember to breath.


	29. Power Surge

**Power Surge**

Leonardo stood in the center of the dojo, katana drawn, but perfectly still. Trying to focus his body and mind on the first of many katas. Slowly, he moved through them, one after another. Each movement blending gracefully into the next.

Training was his one constant. A balm for his recently shattered nerves. A physical expression for the anger and tension still eating away at him from the inside. It began like many other solo training sessions Leo had put himself through.

But it was hard to focus on the training today. His thoughts were snarled and flashes of last night's battle and nightmare were on his mind. Perhaps the figure of Raph from his dream embodied a subconscious guilt for killing those bastards. But after meditating and searching his feelings this morning, he found he didn't feel the least bit guilty about it while he was awake.

What was really bothering him about the dream was that he hadn't recognized Luna. His subconscious, if Raph really _was _a representation of his subconscious, seemed to think he would only bring her pain and that it would be best if he could forget about her. Leo shook his head dismissing that thought.

Then there was breakfast.

Leo had come down to good news from Don that Mikey was on the road to recovery. That had lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. He'd been so afraid that somehow the emotional turmoil last night, about sharing his soulmate, had further injured his little brother during the healing. Perhaps forcing him into the coma like state. To hear that Donnie had found a concrete reason and cure...the relief had been overwhelming.

Leo was distracted a moment from his thoughts as he caught sight of Sol hovering observantly over him, watching his training but also unaccountably still. It's little blue form hardly wavered as it focused its attention on him. Leo wondered briefly at it's presence.

Didn't it need to stay with Luna? Perhaps Fina was with her instead.

Leo finished with the single sword katas and effortlessly drew his second blade. Without pause, he moved into the double bladed ones. These he performed faster. His swords virtually dancing in the patterns of the candlelight, creating complex forms and battling enemies seen only in his mind.

But even these more complicated movements were old friends, performed from the rhythm of memory, and Leo's mind slipped back into contemplation of this morning's events.

When Raph had come into the kitchen, Leo had felt himself tense instantly. He hadn't had time to come to terms with the situation yet. What could he even say to his brother? Leo thought about slipping out before Raph saw that he was there, but another quick glance made him realize that something was off with Raphael.

Leonardo didn't even have think about it. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to reach out with his energy to see what was wrong. He almost laughed out loud when he realized the reason Raph was staggering about, but he also felt a sudden sympathy for Raph's condition. Leo had felt that way in Luna's presence more than once, but all he could advise his brother to do was breathe.

Somehow, that little insight into Raph's feelings made Leo more comfortable with the situation. He wasn't the only one struggling with overwhelming emotions. With this new perspective, Leo found he was able to finish his tea and even tease his brother a bit.

He knew Raph expected something else and had surprised even himself when those feelings of protective dominance hadn't appeared. Of course Leo couldn't count on that lasting forever, so he'd excused himself once it looked like Raph was recovering and headed in here to sort out his thoughts.

Leo reached the end of musings as he reached the end of the double bladed series. He slowed, and moved back into his starting position, poised once again in the center of the dojo.

He waited.

With a small hum, Don's practice bots sprang to life. They attacked. First singly, then in groups of 3 or more. All were repelled with smooth, efficient strokes of flashing silver.

His daily training complete, Leo sheathed his katanas. He felt vaguely dissatisfied, knowing that he had no real way to prepare himself for battle against more supernatural adversaries. He sighed, still lost in thought.

Sol chose that moment to act.

Three glowing blue forms appeared before Leonardo and he fell back immediately into a defensive position. They were ghostly shinobi, appearing as ninjas of old. The one in the lead bowed to him, a classic sparring introduction, then drew his katana and attacked.

Leo reacted, drawing his own sword to counter, but his blade passed right through, encountering the same problem he'd had on the rooftop. The glowing ninja's blade, however, continued it's motion and Leo felt a searing jolt across his plastron at the strike.

He may not be able to mark them, but they could certainly hit him. And yet, they did no real damage.

Leo spun away from the ninja, and glanced up to where Sol was hovering calmly above him. If he was truly under attack, Sol would be helping or heading for Luna. This must be something else.

Leo rolled away from the trio and lept back to his feet, squaring off with the lead glowing form.

"So, I have a new sensei now?" Leo said flicking a glance to Sol, who bobbed slightly.

_leo must learn to battle those on another plane. _ Sol replied calmly. _more will come for her. _

The deceptively slow dance of dodging and maneuvering continued on the dojo floor, as Leo nodded grimly.

"Then there is a way for me to counter these, without your help?" he asked.

_yes. _

The ninjas paused, at some silent signal from Sol.

_like weapons, leo's energy is a tool. it can heal or harm. _

Leonardo nodded his understanding. His weapons could be used to protect and defend, or thrust in attack. Even in attack, he could choose to mortally wound an enemy or just to impair them. It was logical to think his power could be used in a similar manner.

_weapons are the heart and soul of the warrior, but intentions are the key_

It was perhaps the longest single sentence Leo had heard from Sol, and with that rather cryptic piece of advice, the spectral ninjas took a ready stance again.

Leo thought about what Sol said. He remembered how it felt when Luna helped him to heal Mikey. That combination of relaxation and focus was eerily similar to the calm, meditative state he usually assumed before combat.

Leo did not need to close his eyes to let himself drift into that state. His consciousness could float alone in the center of his mind. A bright point of light, an island in a sea of darkness.

His position of perfect mental balance.

He brought only one objective with him to that island, to make his energy manifest physically.

It was not surprising, this time, when a blue glow began to outline his body. He concentrated harder, and felt a pressure begin to build inside himself. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but acting on instinct, he began to gather that power using intangible mental fingers into a tighter, smaller mass. Compacting it together in his center and preparing to release it against his enemies.

When he thought he had enough, he turned his focus outward and looked towards his targets. He noted small tendrils of blue light escaping from his body and frowned, concerned. Then he yelped in surprise as a larger blue cord of energy sprung away from him and struck the dojo wall. He hadn't intended to do that.

Like a streamer from a plasma ball, it trailed over the bricks to his left, but instead of expending energy and dissipating as he expected, it seemed to be drawing even _more_ power out of the very bricks themselves. Some of them began to crumble, and the air around Leonardo began to vibrate.

_Um, this was more than I wanted… I'll just let this go, before it gets any worse… _he thought.

But it was too late for that. The power center he had created was too strong. He didn't know how to direct all this energy safely, so he did the only thing he could think to do. He pack it tighter and tighter together inside himself.

Raph ran in just then to see what all the noise was about. After his nightmare, he was more than a little sensitive about strange lights and noises coming from the dojo. His jaw dropped when he saw Leo. More and more of the streamers had leapt from him, tracking to the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Raph heard a rather menacing sound as well, similar to the rumble of a subway train, only it was a lot closer than any train that ran near their home. As it got louder, the walls began to shake in response.

Leonardo was now suspended in the air, a good three feet from the dojo floor. Blue energy was crackling everywhere, and he seemed to be absorbing it from all around him. Even Sol was caught up in the crossfire.

"Leo!" Raph called, throwing up his arm in front of his face and pushing his way into the charged air, trying to reach his brother. Raph's own energy flared up in response, and streaks of red joined the blue racing toward Leonardo.

Raph only made it halfway to his brother before dropping to his knees. The blue light was draining him, taking all his physical energy, as well as the strange red one he was producing. He locked eyes with Leo as their forces continued to combine, but despite Raph's struggles, he was unable to go any further.

Just as Leo felt his world disintegrating into nothing more than pure light, Luna appeared in the door of the dojo. Donatello was with her, his eyes wide in wonder and Leo thought he saw Don mouth the words 'energy vortex'.

Luna took one look at Leo, Raph, Sol, and the glowing blue ninjas and shook her head. She raised her hand in a 'stop' like motion and all the lightening streamers instantly jumped to her outstretched palm.

She reversed the polarity of the stream, as her other hand pointed to the Earth at her feet, and in one quick and dirty motion she pulled all the excess energy out of Leonardo and grounded it into a large crystal formation she sensed below them.

The crystal hummed and began to glow softly beneath her feet like a fully charged battery. Interesting, she thought. Unprepared crystalline formations didn't usually have that response. She'd have to check that out later. Right now, someone owed her an explanation.

The light died.

Leo dropped to the floor but managed to keep his feet. Raph stood up. Sol, shot down to hide behind Leo's head. The ninjas were nowhere to be seen.

Luna stood glaring at them all, tapping her foot. She looked odd. It took a moment for the difference to sink in. Her eyes were glowing a kind of amber color with red flecks. Her hair was coppery red.

_Of course! Fina must be providing her sight since Sol is in here causing problems._ Raph thought, eyeing her warily. That thought was quickly followed by:

_Man, she's hot when she's angry!_

"Would somebody care to tell me" Luna began in a deceptively sweet tone of voice, "just _exactly _what is going on in here?"

Silence. Three pairs of eyes and a small flame looked anywhere but at her.

Don decided it was a good moment to step out of the line of fire, and slipped away from her side, but he was too curious to go far. He stayed within earshot.

Raph couldn't bear to look at her anymore or he was going to do something unforgivable, like grab her and run upstairs to his room, so he was just letting his eyes roam over the mess they'd made of the dojo.

Leo looked stubborn. He stared at the floor, refusing to meet her eyes. He knew if he did, his will would crumble and he'd do anything she asked. He was certain he needed to practice fighting other planer warriors, and he wasn't going to let her talk him out of it.

Just because this first time hadn't turned out so well, didn't mean he was ready to give up.

Luna turned her glare on Sol and crooked a finger in a come here motion. It floated toward her and stopped in front of her face, slightly wilted and guilty as a flame could look.

"I can understand Leo and Raph wanting to learn how to use their powers offensively." She said. "After all, it would be for the _family's _protection."

That statement made Leo's head snap up to see if she was serious. She was.

_So that's what they were up to._ Raph thought. _Not a bad idea. I could get behind that. _

"But did you really think it was a good idea to jump straight into advanced energy manipulation and node formation in an unshielded workroom?" Luna continued.

Don choked behind her.

"I _thought _that looked like a modular energy vortex!" he declared excitedly. "But those are only theoretical at this point!"

Luna shot him a look that advised him to hold his tongue for the moment and turned back towards the slightly simpering blue flame.

"Somebody's in trouble!"

A singsong voice echoed across the living area to the doorway where the intense standoff was occurring.

Luna paused in mid tirade and turned to look, shock written all over her face. Donnie had told her everything was going to be alright, but she really hadn't believed him until this moment.

"MIKEY!" she shrieked.

Argument forgotten, she threw herself across the room into his outstretched arms. He spun her around and even tossed her up in the air a little before setting her back on her feet. He reached out and stroked a bit of her now red hair, and took in her amber colored eyes with a calm smile.

"I like the new look, Sis." he said, right before Luna dissolved into tears.


	30. Obligations

_Sister._

Michelangelo liked the way that word sounded. So much so, that he thought it over and over and every time it made him smile. He couldn't wait to say it outloud again. He'd been thinking it since he woke in the infirmary tucked into her futon. It smelled like his sister. Like flowers.

He smiled again as he approach the living area stealthily and heard her lecturing his brothers about something.

"Would somebody care to tell me just _exactly _what is going on in here?" Luna asked, an edge to her voice despite it's usual sweetness.

She was feisty, his sister. But then she would have to be to put up with _both _of his stubborn brothers as soulmates. He decided to hang back a little and see what they were up to this time.

He watched as Donatello sidled carefully away from her, as if he might actually be a little afraid. Raphael glanced up at Luna and his eyes widened before he flushed then looked away.

_Raph's got it bad._ Mikey thought before turning his gaze to his oldest brother.

Leonardo's mouth was set in a thin solid line that meant he was being stubborn about whatever was going on. Mikey had seen that expression so many times in his life. Usually it was directed at him when he was begging off training or trying to get out of something. Last night Mikey thought he was never going to see it again.

Michelangelo blinked rapidly as tears began to form at the memory of Leo comforting him as he passed into darkness. He hadn't been alone. Even if he would have died, his brother had not let him go alone. He quickly shook off that thought. He was just happy to be back with them again.

As usual, Mikey had wandered away in his own thoughts and lost track of the conversation going on around him. But one thing was pretty obvious. Luna was ticked about something they had done.

Mikey made a face. He wanted to side with his sis but his brothers _had _saved him, healed him, and called him back to the land of the living. This was his chance to start paying back a little of that by 'saving' them from a tyrannical sister. He chuckled to himself.

"Somebody's in trouble!" He called out in a sing-song voice, guaranteed to distract.

Luna paused, her mouth open to continue her scolding, but as she turned toward him it dropped open further in shock. He chuckled again and held out his arms for a hug.

"Mikey!" She practically screamed, and threw herself at him.

He spun her through the air and set her down gently. She looked different with red hair and amber eyes. That must be Fina's influence. But she also looked healthy, vibrant, and healed. He'd never seen her this way; she'd been injured as long as he'd known her.

He touched her hair gently and smiled into her eyes. She was stunning.

"I like the new look, Sis," he said, trying to convey all his thoughts in his smile.

To his horror, Luna burst into tears.

Raph glared at Mikey and lurched toward them while Leo's eyes flashed angrily, his hands tightening into fists; both instinctively reacting to her pain. Don intercepted them to keep the peace.

"Guys let's go clean up the dojo and let Mikey have a little talk. Ok?" Don said. He leaned in close to them and whispered sternly, "She _needs _this. Everybody out."

Reluctantly Leo and Raph let Donnie usher them into the dojo but before Don shut the door Leo jerked his head at Sol.

"Watch over her," Leo commanded softly, as Sol went to join his goddess.

* * *

"Luna, sweetie, what is it?" Mikey begged. He hated to see her in tears and wondered what he'd done. He took her gently by the arm and led her over to sit on the couch. Now she was sobbing so hard she could barely breath and Sol was orbiting them worriedly.

"Luna," he said, as he shook her gently, but he got no response.

Distressed, he pulled her close and stroked her hair.

"It's ok. Just let it out lil' sis," he said. "Mikey's here."

She gazed sorrowfully up at him through her tears. Even though he was smiling gently down at her the only expression she could see was the agony on his face from her memory.

"I-I'm s-so s-sorry," she managed through her sobs. "I c-couldn't stop them! I c-couldn't _think _of anything else to do!"

"Luna… I was there to protect you. That's all that matters," he said quietly.

"No!" she pulled away. "It was my fault! I've been fighting this war for thousands of years. I should have realized. I should have done _something!"_

Mikey stared into her eyes. She looked so _lost_. What had happened to his sister?

"Why am I even still fighting?" she cried. "What can I do? Just sit around waiting for the _next _shot in the dark to take out the ones I love?

I could feel you fading away," she moaned. "And all I could do was take away the pain."

She hid her face in her hands as she slowly fell apart.

* * *

"She's still cryin'!" Raph said angrily, smashing his fist into an inoffensive and deactivated practice bot.

Not much cleaning was really going on in the dojo but then that had just been the excuse. Donatello sighed as he righted a fallen rack of weapons.

"She needs this Raph. She needs to release the guilt before it tears her up inside," Don said.

"What guilt?" Raph demanded. "Da' only one who should feel guilty is Mikey for taken her out d'ere where d'ose supernatural freaks could get at 'er!"

"Luna's mother said wraiths are power hunters," Don snapped. "They would have sought Luna out underground just as easily as they did on the rooftops. The only difference would be us cleaning their blood out of the carpet."

Don was suddenly the focus of two _very_ hostile glares. He backed up, hands out in apology.

"I'm sorry,that was ill phrased and I plead exhaustion. But Mikey was not at fault."

Raph grunted. "Still, Luna ain't got nuthin' to feel guilty about."

"She blames herself for all of this," Don said, gesturing around.

"All what?" Raph snapped.

"Leo's pain, your fiery soul," Don said pointing at Raph, "Mikey's death."

"So, what does she need?" Leo asked softly.

Don shrugged sadly.

* * *

In the blink of an eye, Michelangelo could see the situation through her eyes. She'd lain awake most of the night reliving the pain and trauma. He knew what that was like. He was going to hear her screams and tears from that night for a long time. And the moan of despair when she gave up...it almost killed him. They hurt, those memories. They hurt bad.

They felt like failure.

And then he knew what she needed. He didn't hold her responsible for any of the events of that night but denials and justifications were not going to reach her in this state. So he gave her what she needed for relief.

Permission to let it all go.

"I forgive you." Michelangelo whispered. He put a finger under her chin and forced her to look in his bright blue eyes, shining with unshed tears of his own. "I. Forgive. You."

It was exactly the right thing to say. The only thing that could get through to her. Michelangelo pulled her into his lap and held her close as she collapsed. She buried her face in his neck and sobbed herself out. It was a long time before exhaustion overtook her and she finally fell asleep.

Mikey looked sadly up at Sol.

"Get Leo." was all he said.

* * *

Luna slept most of the rest of the day in the infirmary, the place she had confided to Don that she felt the safest, snuggled down in her little nest. A watchful Leonardo curled protectively around her projecting safety, love, and adoration with all his empathic energy. He could feel the steady cadence of his reassurance eating away at the dark swell of her negative emotions.

Time was what she needed now.

Donatello and Michelangelo spent the day comparing notes on the battles. Mikey filled Don in on Luna's brilliant plan to hide among the shades and their subsequent problems as, not one but three of the terrifying wraiths showed up. Don wrote copious notes from Luna's descriptions and Mikey's narrative as he spoke of their appearance, intellect, and strategies. If they were going to face these types of beings again, Don wanted to study them as much as possible.

Raphael retreated to his room. Ostensibly to deal with the mess that used to be his bed; really he needed to be alone. Watching Leo tenderly take Luna from Mikey and tuck her in protectively made him ache. He knew Leonardo was the best choice to reassure her. God knew he wasn't good at doling out comfort.

And Luna's needs were going to come first for Raph...now and forever. As long as Leo was what she required he'd stand down; even when it hurt.

But that didn't mean he had to do nothing. As he dealt with the mess in his room, he planned a night patrol that would lead him past the rooftop where the battle took place and the alley where they had encountered Charon. Maybe he could find some clues to tie the two together.

Raph stayed out of sight until his brothers retired for the night. Leo stayed with Luna as Don and Mikey called quiet he was sure everyone was shut in for the night, Raph slipped quietly out to do some investigating.

* * *

Raph came up empty at the alley. The cops and emergency workers had already been through it and anything useful had been carried away. Donnie would have to hack the police dept to see what evidence they might have gathered. Raph growled in frustration and retraced his path to the abandoned building.

He didn't want to go home empty handed, but he found himself rather reluctant to actually revisit that rooftop. There was just so much blood. It wasn't that he was squeamish about blood, he cleaned enough of it off his weapons over the years to fill a swimming pool.

But this was _her _blood and his brother's. For some reason that made him feel different about it

Instead, he decided to widen his investigation to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings, just in case there had been mortal instigators who might have left a trace behind. He'd spiraled out in a classic search strategy, using the battle rooftop as his center, and was at least 10 buildings away when he sensed something unusual.

The left side of his body had warmed, as if it was in the sun. Impossible. It was nearly 2AM. He glanced around to see if he'd walked too near to some sort of building vent but saw nothing that could create heat.

He walked to the edge of the roof and the sensation moved with him. Intrigued now, he turned to face the direction the warmth was radiating from and it warmed his front. He turned away and felt the heat on his shell.

It was like a full body version of the game hot and cold.

_What could be causing that?_

Raph faced in the direction of the warmth again and realized he was looking back at his starting point. The warmth was radiating from _that _building. The one where he nearly lost her. A sense of urgency overtook him and he began to run back to that rooftop.

Something was about to happen.

As he drew closer to his objective, his heart began to pound. Not from exertion but from anticipation. He heard his own pulse beating rapidly in his ears and then,strangely, heard another that beat in almost perfect counterpoint.

He stopped, still one building away, confused.

He froze then disappeared into the shadows when movement on the target rooftop caught his attention. The elevator doors opened. Instantly he knew whose heartbeat it was. Even blocks away her warmth had called to him.

Luna walked out alone.

_What is she doing up here? Where the hell is Leo, Don and Mikey? _

Raphael was about to leap to his feet, charge over there, and demand answers when a hand fell gently on his shoulder holding him in place. Raph growled and strained against the grip with all his might but it didn't do any good. All his muscles had been locked in place.

He caught a glimmer of pale light in his peripheral vision as the owner of the hand move to his side.

"Shh," the dark haired woman said. "Watch."

He looked back at Luna when she began to sing. She stood, eyes closed, with her face turned to the sky. Her voice was soft, but achingly clear, and it chimed out in an unearthly descant that pierced his heart.

It began quietly, like a child calling out for comfort in the night and slowly rose into a wail.

Shadows rose up around her and Raph struggled again to be free. Luna was in danger! He couldn't sit here and watch her falter under yet another attack. He felt fire explode into life around his hands as five shades formed a circle that swirled around her form and danced in complex patterns to her song.

The strange woman snorted and waved a hand. Raph's fire was immediately extinguished.

Luna's song rose in volume and she was joined by a chorus of voices from the very air around her. They merged harmoniously into her melody, until the night shivered and rippled with their plea. The music rose to a great crescendo, then fell silent.

It was silent for a long time.

Even the shades stilled their frantic movements.

There was a rumbling crack, a detonation that sent shockwaves through the air like a super sonic jet breaking the sound barrier, and Luna was no longer alone on the rooftop.

"Lord Zeus," she greeted formally, inclining her head. "As sworn, I submit these frail souls for entry to the afterlife for services rendered unto me and mine. Grant them entry, I beseech thee."


	31. Unknown

**Unknown**

The argument had been going on for a while. It was really more of a dressing down though since after Luna's initial greeting she couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"You were made mortal for a reason! You were sent here to learn the consequences of acting on your own without considering the larger picture," Zeus began sternly. "Yet you continue to break with all tradition and _associate _with demons and monsters!"

"I-" she tried to interject.

"Then you embroil your father in this mess and become a half immortal creature! A complete unknown, who challenges the balance of the entire Olympic system!" Zeus bellowed over the top of her protest. "If your father wasn't so indispensable I would never have allowed it,"

"He-" she started.

"_Really_! What were you thinking?" Zeus cut her off.

It was a good thing that Selene had kept her hand, and power, firmly in place over Raphael. With his first words Zeus had offended Raph and stirred his already riled protective instincts to levels Raph never even suspected he had.

"Granted, the human attack against you was unanticipated and it does seem that someone's underling may be getting out of hand, but that is an internal matter for Olympians. It does _not _grant you blanket permission to unlock dormant gifts in monsters and start conflicts where mortals might see," Zeus was lecturing.

"But-" she said.

"It seems you have learned _nothing _from your time here. Your rebellion remains unquelled. You cannot leave a single rule unchallenged," Zeus continued to rage. "It had to be you who engaged in the first soul bonding to _ever _occur to a god. Yet _you _selected _monsters_ instead of an immortal peer."

Raph could feel that each separate remark was like a blade to Luna's heart. His bond flared with her emotions, pummeling him with pain, insecurity, and regret.

_His brothers had just quieted her guilt an' put da poor girl back together! Now dis egotistical maniac had da nerve ta cut her down with his lies? She didn't choose any of dis! _

Selene had to extinguish his hands more than a dozen times and even had to throw a sound barrier around them, as Raph vented his rage incoherently at a volume that would definitely have caught the King's attention.

"Such arrogance," Zeus declared. "Not only did you bond _two _powerful beings, but you claimed the remainder as family! Did you not think the other gods deserved a chance at such a rare creature? I cannot condone such greed, young one."

Raphael was not alone in his anger. Selene's hand on his shoulder tightened with every declaration Zeus made and her face was set in a defiant mask.

"This current behaviour only further reveals your aberrations. Perhaps that was the reason you selected monsters," Zeus mused, as if it had just occurred to him. "You are so reviled among your peers, none of them would have you."

That offhand comment was the final twist of the knife. Luna drooped to her knees in front of her King as if her feet had been cut from under her. Tears streamed down her face.

"Why are ya holdin' me here?" Raph raged at Selene. "He's hurtin' her!"

"I'm saving your life, my son," she replied sternly.

Raphael blinked, startled by the honorary term only Splinter had ever used with him. Her voice softened.

"He wouldn't even have to look up to end you." Selene continued. "Luna can take this. She couldn't handle losing a mate."

"After all of this, you have the nerve to summon me and beseech a favor?" Zeus' incredulous laugh dripped with scorn and contempt and drew Raph's flaming eyes back across the gap.

"You wish me to grant _shades _access to the afterlife," Zeus tsked at her in disdain. "Luna, you are too soft hearted. Always trying to save the unsavable. Just like that child. If you had left well enough alone, none of this would have happened."

She bowed her head.

"Please," she begged in a small crushed voice that Raph had to strain to hear. "Grant them entry. If only to uphold the honor of an Olympian's word."

There was a long silence, but she didn't look up.

"For the honor of the whole," Zeus agreed.

He waved a hand at the hovering shades and with another deafening crash of thunder they all disappeared. Leaving Luna kneeling alone on the rooftop.

As she staggered to her feet, still weeping, and walked to the side of the building to stare out at the city lights, Selene released Raphael. He did not need her quiet plea to urge him to Luna's side. Turmoil, pain, sorrow, guilt, anxiety, anguish… none of those words were enough to describe what was hammering at him through their bond.

Raph leapt the gap and approached her silently, not knowing what to say, but needing to be there. She knew who was behind her.

"Tell me you didn't hear that," she begged quietly without turning around.

Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment and she held her arms clenched tightly across her chest. Why did it have to be Raphael who witnessed her demeaning? The King had degraded her. Revealed her secret. She was soft. She was weak. She wasn't fit to be a goddess.

Raphael was proud and strong. He would not want a weak partner, like her, for a mate. He had bound himself to her in a moment of desperation. Out of a need to save his brother.

He certainly wouldn't want to stay with someone the King thought so poorly of. If he was Olympian, he'd demand she release him from her bond. And she would. He deserved better.

She waited for him to speak.

Raphael reached out gently and rested both his hands on her shoulders. It was the first time he had dared to touch her since he carried her home from the Fall. He had not allowed himself the privilege during the weeks that followed. It had not been his place. And yet he had yearned for it.

Emotions swirled so powerfully within him, it was all he could do to make his voice light as he answered.

"What I heard was a buncha hot air from a loud-mouthed bastard who feels threatened by ya."

She flinched, at his touch and his light tone. He wasn't taking this seriously. The King's words were law. She had to make him understand. She was nothing. He, Leonardo, the whole family- mortal though they were- were much more important than then her, the lowest god.

Had she really been trying to protect them when she claimed them as family? Or was she just as selfish as the King claimed?

She snorted mirthlessly.

"Oh, so you politely ignored the part about me being completely worthless as a goddess, an unknown and unclassifiable being, an ignorant rebel who thinks only of herself, a no good busybody that always mucks things up for the rest, a greedy miscreant…" Luna trailed off with a little yelp as Raphael spun her almost violently to face him.

"Lies," he spat with intensity, as he speared her with a look. "The whole pack of 'em."

She stared at him, eyes hot and still spilling over with tears. She saw anger on his face, and desire, yet his eyes spoke of some deeper conflict. He wouldn't ask. He didn't know he had the right. She had to offer.

"I will understand," she spoke softly, "if you do not wish to be my mate. I know now that I am flawed, and a tie to me will only weaken you. You are strong. Powerful. You should not have to share. You have the right to refuse me…to withdraw your bond."

She watched as his face changed. Now he knew. She closed her eyes in despair as more tears escaped. She did not want him to see how much she had been depending on his strength. She did not want to see his relief.

Raphael felt her heartbeat falter as his face went numb with shock.

_She thought he wanted out? In what twisted universe would he want d'at? She wasn't weak! _

_She saved a child knowing it would cause her banishment. She endured da pain of death, twice. She stood up alone against three terrifying apparitions ta save his baby brother. She demeaned herself ta d'at fucking idiot they call a king so some poor souls she didn't know could make it ta da afterlife. _

_She was tempered steel coated in velvet. She was perfect. _

He reach out to her, gently placed his palm over one flaming cheek, and stroked away her tears with his thumb. She was so damn beautiful, it made his hands shake.

"No," he said. It was a soft, emphatic, growling denial of everything in her offer.

She looked up into his eyes, startled. She saw only desire, awe, and… love. He wanted to be her bonded. The hole that had been tearing it's way through her heart began to heal.

"But-"

Raphael closed the space between them and placed a finger across her lips. Stopping the protest before it could form.

"No."

Raphael wished he was eloquent, like Donatello, and could explain away all of the hurtful things that awful creature said. He wished he was funny, like Michelangelo, able to banish her tears with laughter. He wished he was calm and compassionate, like Leonardo, to soothe her fears. He was none of these things.

He was, however, a damn good ninja. A fact that would save her life.

Even as distracted as he was standing that close to her, he sensed the danger. A slight buzz from a loose bit of fletching was his only warning.

With an oath that could have blistered paint, Raphael shoved her away from him with the hand that had only moments before been caressing her face.

Luna fell as a crossbow bolt shot directly through the space where her head had just been and impaled itself halfway to the fletching in the gravel of the rooftop. Three more followed, but she had taken the initiative and rolled into the scant cover provided by the knee wall at the edge of the building.

From that position, she frantically looked around as much as she could without leaving her protection. She couldn't seem to catch a break. Her enemies were everywhere.

Raphael had disappeared, but she knew he hadn't abandoned her. She could feel his heartbeat nearby, once again in perfect counterpoint to her own. His voice hissed out of the darkness.

"Luna, stay where ya are. These guys are not yer enemies. They're old friends of mine," he drawled sarcastically.

Raph watched from his concealed position as her eyes narrowed from surprise to hardened determination, and her hair burst into dramatic flames.

_Mortals dared to threaten her mate? They must have a death wish._

"Luna," he drew her name out warningly. "These clowns ain't nothin' I can't handle. Let's save the fireworks in case we need a surprise later."

"I'm gonna draw 'em away." he paused. "Stay there until ya see all of 'em follow me."

She nodded and stroked a hand through her flaming hair, dousing it. She was willing to believe him when he said he could handle it.

"East a here three buildings we got friends. That's over da wall yer leanin' on." Raph continued. "Da gaps are narrow here, I know ya can make da jumps. Take da North fire escape down four levels an' knock on da window. You'll be safe there."

_So I can concentrate, _he thought.

Raph eyed her to see if she'd obey, and paused a moment to focus before the fight. He felt exhilaration fill him. This was exactly what he needed. He didn't know why the Foot were out here, but a good old fashioned beat-down, with an enemy he knew, would be great to clear his head.

Luna would be ok. She would be safe at April's. He just hoped there weren't more Foot concealed out there between her and the apartment. He suddenly wished Don had given her a phone or a tracking device. No one had thought about her having to go somewhere alone anytime soon.

He jumped when she spoke in his head a moment later.

_I'll keep this line open, _she said. _So you can give me a play by play. _

He smiled. He forgot she could do that.

_Just remember to keep YOUR flames under control, ok big guy? _she said.

_I only burn for you babe._ He replied with a smirk, and launched himself at a dead run across the building to lead the Foot away.

Luna smiled at his answer and hunched down in the ley of the wall as first one, than a dozen more, black clad figures leapt over her as they raced after Raphael to the nearby rooftop. She heard him taunting and egging them on. No one stopped to look for her.

_So, who's the friend? _she asked while she waited.

_Guy named Casey. He comes with sometimes when we're, uh, out. _Raph paused to smack two black clad heads together. _Heck, ya betta invite 'im to join me when ya get there. Or he'll ride my shell about it for a week. _

When the area around her was clear, she stood up and leapt for the next building as quietly and unobtrusively as she could. She felt a rush as she cleared the gap. This was actually kind of exciting. She smiled hugely as she sank into the shadows of the nearest A/C unit and started slinking across the roof.

_Havin' fun playin' ninja, sweetheart? _Raph called. He'd obviously felt the rush.

She stuck her tongue out at him even though she knew he couldn't see it. He'd still get the mental image. She glanced back at him two roofs away and saw he'd doubled over with laughter.

Two of the black clad figures looked at each other in confusion then shrugged and tried to take advantage of his strange behaviour. They got a quick backhanded fist and a kick instead.

_Keep going Luna or Casey's not gonna have anyone left to play with. _

She picked up the pace and trotted to the next gap. It was a little larger but still looked do-able. Luna backed up a few paces, ran, and jumped. She gave a little mental cheer when she landed and raised her fists over her head like a gymnast.

_Crap! _She ducked quickly and went back to trying to slink through the shadows.

_Raph, eight more of those pajama guys just came out of the stairwell of this building. _

_They see ya? _he asked in concern.

She smiled again. Raph was so protective even his mental voice held a threatening growl.

_No, they're headed for the fight. _

_Stay low, only one more building to go sweetheart. _ he replied.

She blushed at the endearment, and considered the last building. It was taller than the one she was on by about two stories. What now? Climbing?

No, right there at the side nearest her was some sort of extra little out building. She stood on a protruding pipe and jumped to get the edge of it, then dragged herself up. Now there was only one story to go. She hesitated, unsure what to do.

_um Raph? I'm a story too short,_ she said.

_Straight ahead of ya there's a ledge. Ya see it? It's two feet deep. Ya can land it. D'en there's a metal ladder on da far right. _

Luna considered the jump carefully. It was a little farther than the last one and, if she jumped too hard, she might ricochet off the building and fall backwards. Two feet wasn't really a lot of room for landing.

She thought about just using her power to levitate up but the silvery light would give away her position. Plus, she didn't want to compromise the living arrangements of whomever these friends were by leading pajama men to their window.

Finally, she held her hands out in front of her and made just her fingertips 'sticky' with the tiniest amount of power. Then she ran and jumped as hard as she could before she lost her nerve. She made the ledge and slapped the wall with her fingers to cement the landing. It worked and she breathed a sigh of relief.

_Ya ok Luna? _he called.

_I got this. _She answered and began to climb up the ladder.

It took no time at all for her to find the fire escape and make her way down the four levels but it was 3 AM when she pounded on the window so she really hoped these friends were used to visitors at strange hours.

A light came on immediately as a dark haired man in a grey tee and plaid pj pants stumbled into the hall, yawning and scratching his head.

"I'm a comin', hold ya horses Raph!" he said, then froze.

The redhead on the fire escape, while hot, was not the type of hothead he had expected. She pounded again.

"Casey! Let him _in_!" a woman's voice called in irritation from the bedroom.

"April, babe, it's not a him." Casey replied over his shoulder, without taking his eyes off the window.

"What?" a slightly disheveled woman appeared in the hall behind him, pulling on a bathrobe. She followed his gaze to the window and did a double take. "Oh my god, LUNA!"

April rushed to the window, threw up the sash, and pulled the girl inside.

"You know this girl babe?" Casey asked, just as Luna asked, "You Casey?"

"Who's askin'?" he said bluntly. April hit him up the back of his head.

_This the guy? _She sent Raph a mental picture of the man in front of her.

_D'at's him. _

"Raphael says, and I quote, 'Get dressed, ya numbskull. If ya don't hurry I won't save ya a dance partner. And I know how much ya love ta tango with da foot.'" Luna said, trying to mimic Raph's Brooklyn accent as best she could.

"The Foot!" Casey exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. He ran back toward the bedroom shouting "Where are they?"

"Four buildings west, one north." she replied.

"So close?" he called. There was a crash from the bedroom and the sound of a lot of objects falling over. "I got this!" he said loudly.

April covered her face with a hand.

The man came running back down the hall, dressed in torn jeans, an old sports jersey, and a hockey mask. He had a golf bag on his back with various sporting equipment inside. Luna exchanged a look with the woman.

"Don't ask," April said quietly.

"How many were there?" Casey asked eagerly, as he headed toward the window and the fire escape.

"Twenty-one by my last count," Luna said.

_Thirty-two _Raph chimed in. _But he's down by ten._

Luna rolled her eyes, sensing where this was going. Casey was climbing out the window.

"Excuse me," she corrected sarcastically. "Raph says 32 and you're down by 10."

"No way!" Casey said.

He stood up on the fire escape and shook his fist to the city at large.

"You're not gonna beat me hothead!" Casey yelled, before dashing up the fire escape.


	32. What You Need

**What You Need**

"Both of them?" April asked, amazed.

Girl talk over a cup of tea was a new experience for Luna. It wasn't something Olympians ever did. Their daily lives mostly involved power struggles and political maneuvering and didn't allow for something as simple or wonderful as a heart-to-heart with a like minded female.

It hadn't taken Luna long to realize April was the benefactor who provided the clothes for her and a few indirect queries had revealed that it was also April who had helped Donatello treat her when the turtles first brought her home.

Apparently Donatello had been keeping her updated on the Luna situation, but hadn't called yet to fill her in on the last two night's adventures. Luna was mostly happy to do so, though she was a little hesitant to tell her everything.

April gave off a kind of big sister vibe about the turtles and Luna didn't want her to think she was trying to take advantage of the guys sweet natures. Besides, she liked this April O'neil, and it would be nice to have a friend that she did not have to trade favors for or worry about politically.

She was actually relieved that April already knew about her heritage. Trying to explain or conceal her powers from this observant woman would have been difficult. But she still blushed at April's shocked expression as she told the story of the battle on the rooftop and her second soulmate.

"It's not as if I planned it!" Luna protested, laughing a little in nervous embarrassment.

"Well, all I can say is good luck to you," April said, relieving Luna's worry with a smile. "Leo is a dream, but Raphael may be a bit rough around the edges. Plus, I don't think either of them has ever had a girlfriend, and at 28, that's a lot of pent up sexual frustration you'll be dealing with my dear!" April teased.

"Not a problem." Luna replied, her mind only half on the conversation. "Thousands of years of experience here." She paused then blushed again as she realized what she'd just said.

April's eyes widened, "Just how old _are _you?"

The question slipped out before April could edit it, and it was her turn to blush.

"You don't have to answer that," she said quickly.

"No, I don't mind," Luna paused to consider. "I don't know exactly, but I came into existence somewhere in the neighborhood of 650 BC, so just a smidgen over 2500? I'm one of the youngest."

She looked down shyly.

April blinked, a little stunned by this information. As a dealer in antiquities, she was familiar with objects of that age, but people? Donnie had said Luna was an ancient goddess stuck in a human form and April had believed him, but the _ancient _part hadn't really sunk in.

After being friends with the Turtles for more than 10 years, seeing aliens, and visiting parallel dimensions April thought that nothing much could surprise her anymore. But this was… astonishing.

"Zeus thinks that's why I am so much trouble." Luna continued as April tried to process the amount of history she must have seen. "He thinks the others give me far too much leeway. But after tonight… And Raphael..."

April looked up concerned. Something big had happened tonight, and she didn't think it had anything to do with their sudden run in with the Foot. In that one statement Luna's tone had totally changed from friendly conversation to one that was almost heartbroken.

"Luna, did something happen tonight with Raphael?"

April knew only too well that the guys were lacking social graces in the dating department, but she didn't think Raph could come up with something that would offend a goddess with thousands of years experience.

"He refused," Luna eyes were confused, fixed and far away. Her voice was so soft April wasn't sure she'd heard her right.

"Raph? Refused what? The soulbond?" April asked, surprised. That didn't seem right. Donatello said Raph was pining for the girl. And Donnie was usually not mistaken about such things. Luna shook her head.

"Zeus' word is law, and I'm in disgrace," Luna mumbled, thoughts still far away. "Raphael saw it all. He was angry, so angry. He is not Olympian, so he didn't know it was his right to...leave," her voice broke again, full of shame. "to distance himself from the dishonor."

April blinked as she tried to follow this convoluted explanation.

"So you told Raph he could leave," she said gently, nodding in sudden understanding, "and he refused."

_Probably violently_, April thought.

Luna nodded, fighting tears.

"I have to tell Leonardo too. I- I don't know if I can even speak to him about it!" Luna said, panic in her voice. "His honor is above reproach. I cannot drag him down with me! He'll be so angry."

"Luna, I guarantee you that Leo will refuse as well," April said. "And he'll be angry for the same reason Raph was."

"You understand this?" Luna asked April, her eyes wide and her voice lost.

April reached across the table and squeezed Luna's hand.

"Honey, Raph and Leo don't care about anyone else's opinion. They care about _you_. Raphael was angry because you are hurting."

"But Zeus is King and god of all, why would they dare his displeasure?" Luna did not understand.

"Zeus has not been a king on Earth for more than a thousand years." April replied. "And as far as I know, the guys have never worshipped a god."

_Until now._ April thought, eyeing the pretty goddess in front of her.

Luna stared at April, shocked. This change in Earth culture was something she had not taken into account. It would bear some serious consideration.

Luna suddenly cocked her head to the side as if listening. And her expression changed abruptly.

"Raph and Casey are headed back," she said. "I guess we'll be going home soon."

April took note of the word 'home'.

"Luna," she said seriously, still grasping the girl's hand, "Where is home going to be when you've found all the missing pieces?"

Luna opened her mouth to say she didn't know, that she hadn't decided what to do. That her parents needed her. That she was the heir and couldn't just abandon her responsibilities, even if the other gods reviled her.

"Wherever _they _are," she whispered instead, just as Raph knocked on the window.

* * *

Raphael was in a much better mood as he and Casey returned to April's after the fight. Letting out his frustration and aggression was one of the best ways of controlling it, and with this new firestarting talent of his, control was definitely something he needed to practice.

When he tapped on the window, April and Luna were sitting together at the kitchen table, chatting. It looked like they were getting on ok. Raph was glad, cause a little earlier, he'd felt some confusion and sorrow from Luna, and he'd been worried.

It was late, so it wasn't long before they said their goodnights to April and Casey and climbed out the window back to the roof. Luna looked tired, but Raph wasn't really in a hurry to get home and face Leo and a barrage of undoubtedly hostile questions. Besides this was the first time he'd been with Luna alone.

He wanted to make it last a little longer.

"Back home?" Luna asked, turning to head toward the smaller metal ladder.

"Nope," Raph scooped her up from behind into his arms. He looked down into her startled face and gave a sort of lopsided smile. "Care ta go for a run?"

She smiled back, the first carefree looked he'd seen on her face in days and nodded shyly.

Running with her was easy, even though he was tired. She weighed next to nothing and he was the strongest of his brothers. Carrying her would never be a burden. Raphael glanced down at her, still smiling up at him, as he jumped them over larger and larger gaps, until it felt like they were flying.

He admired the way her hair blew in the wind and the sparkle of excitement in her amber eyes as she looked out over the lights of the city. He couldn't help but contrast this vision of loveliness to the memory of carrying her broken body home after the Fall barely a month ago.

That memory struck fear into him, and he held Luna a little tighter, fiercely glad that Leo and Don had taken out every one of those evil, god-forsaken, bastards. Thinking of them, made him want to run even further with Luna, to hide her away somewhere safe, where no one could find her but him.

Suddenly he knew just where he wanted to take her. There was a little grotto in the courtyard of an office complex, well tended but never occupied that he used to visit as a teen when he needed to get away. It would be perfect.

* * *

Luna was really enjoying the run. The night was warm, the stars were bright, and her heart leapt with joy each time she glanced up at Raphael's face. Amazing as it was, he wanted to be with her. His strong arms held her firmly against him, but gently, as if afraid she would break.

She let herself relax and breathe his slightly woodsy scent in deeply as she considered the conversation she'd had with April. It had never occurred to her that her new family would not care about the priorities of an Olympian life, or even worry about offending the head of that hierarchy.

_Zeus has not been a king on this Earth for more than a thousand years. _

April's words replayed themselves over and over in her mind.

It was true that Olympians had been pretty much ignoring the mortal realm for a while. The focus had shifted from the politics of power on Earth to a more purified, cutthroat version amongst the gods themselves. Only a few who had responsibilities to the mortal realm, like her parents, dealt with the Earth on a day to day basis anymore.

She didn't think many Olympians realized the extent of the change amongst the mortals living there. Maybe that's why their immortal underlings were getting so restless. Most of them had been created to maintain power within the mortal realm and now they were being ignored.

Luna looked up from her thoughts, as Raphael tightened his grip around her, and she gasped in startled wonderment as he leapt off into open space. They were falling _inside _of an extremely tall office building. Raphael easily turned their fall into a controlled descent with the use of a few drain pipes and assorted ledges. He navigated the way down easily as if he knew this place well.

She soon understood why he would like to visit here. It was a perfect little courtyard completely hidden from the outside world. Only the interior offices looked out on to this heavenly little space, and this late there was no one to admire the view.

There were full sized trees, weeping birch and cherry, which cast a canopy of long trailing branches low to the ground. There was lush grass, so thick it was like plush carpeting. There were manicured hedges and even a little slate stone waterfall emerging from a giant boulder that created a burbling music all it's own.

The moment Raph set her on the grass, she squealed with joy. She leaned down, tore off her shoes and began to dance around on the soft grass barefoot, before racing toward the trees. She hid behind the nearest one and peeked out at him with a smile.

With her red hair and pale skin, she looked like something he'd seen once in a children's fairytale book, a tree spirit or something totally unreal. He stood admiring her until her chime-like laugh carried over the bubbling sound of the waterfall.

"Well, are you going to come and play?" she taunted.

Raph took off after her, suddenly not tired in the least.

She squeaked playfully and dashed between the trees when he almost caught her. She changed direction again, as he flipped around in pursuit. She didn't escape for long. She was laughing too hard for running.

Panting great, heaving, breaths she collapsed, giggling, under a the spreading canopy of a cherry tree next to the little stream and lay back in the soft cool grass. One arm cushioning her head.

_God, she was gorgeous._

Raphael approached her slowly, entranced by her actions. His eyes roamed over her body like a predator evaluating it's prey, lingering on the smooth curve of her hip as she rolled to one side to watch him, then tracing their way up to the soft rounded edge of her chest, still rapidly rising and falling from her exertion.

He licked his lips but stood his ground, as needs long denied roared to life inside him. Never had he even dreamed that he would get the chance at romance, or anything more intimate, so now he was uncertain how to proceed.

Luna sensed his frustration. Desire was there but Raphael had quelled it for so long. Denied it. Buried it deep in his psyche, and used it's frustration to fuel his rage. In order to act, he needed to rechannel it, but she could help bring it closer to the surface.

She looked up at him seductively through her lashes, her eyes wide and dark, and responded in kind by licking her own lips. Slowly.

_I have what you need._ Her mind whispered to his, below the level of thought, as instincts long suppressed began to re-emerge.

Raph's breathing hitched, and his muscles tensed.

She eyed his muscular form with admiration as she climbed to her feet, equally slowly, and blushed while biting her lip. She glanced down shyly then back up at him.

_I am what you need._

His blood began to boil, and his eyes ignited with desire.

She shifted her weight, dropped one shoulder slightly, and the neckline of her oversized T-shirt slid off her shoulder and slowly down her arm a few inches.

_You are what I need._

Raphael moved.

In seconds, he had her in his arms and shoved back against the boulder that created the waterfall. His mouth fastened desperately on hers, and she wrapped her arms and legs around him as she kissed him back with passion.

His lips were needy and rough, but he gentled his strength for her. He balanced her weight with one hand under her hip and shielded her head protectively from the stone with the other even as he pressed himself against her.

Her hands roamed over him and traced patterns over his shell that drove him insane. He'd never felt like this before.

Raphael thought he knew his body. He thought he knew himself. But these sensations were nothing like what he felt when he had to relieve his own sexual tension. A growl began, deep in the back of his throat as he continued to kiss her fiercely, along with it came a growing need to possess her utterly.

Her lips left his and began to trace kisses down his neck to his shoulder and he threw his head back to give her room. She nipped him then, hard, and he gave voice to a deep thrumming purr that had been echoing inside him. A reflection of his need for her. He was almost startled. He'd never made such sounds before.

Enraptured, he recaptured her lips and moved them away from the boulder to the soft grass. He set her down gently under the cherry tree and removed his weapons, but set his sai carefully within arms reach. He didn't want her injured on them accidentally, but he would not leave her undefended in the open.

Raphael returned to her arms and her soft feminine form entwined with his. She was intoxicating. Every move she made drove him into a further frenzy and he felt his world spinning out of control. But he didn't care.

His heart and soul were on fire and nothing could quench it but her.


	33. Trouble at Home

**Trouble at home**

Raphael cradled the silent, limp form of his goddess close to him and strode rapidly through the sewer tunnels on the most direct route home. The strain of the night had finally caught up with Luna as they were about halfway back and she had surrendered to sleep,secured tightly in his arms, absolute in her trust that he would see her safely home.

The sun was rising as Raph located the manhole cover nearest the short path and adroitly maneuvered himself, and the sleeping girl, down the ladder. They had stayed out too long and Raph knew he was lucky that nothing untoward had found them. Leonardo was probably going to tear into him the moment they reached home. But it had been worth it.

Raphael shifted Luna to one strong arm as he approached the front door, preparing to pull the hidden lever that opened it, but before he could touch it, the door swung inward. There was a loud gasp and Raph glanced up surprised, as the dark form of his brother blotted out the light shining from the common room.

"Give her to me," his voice snapped.

Raph took a step back, pulling Luna closer to him and blinking quickly to clear his eyes of the light, thinking he must be tired and mistaken. This angry voice didn't belong to Fearless.

"_Now._"

It was an order, the like of which he'd never heard coming from his quiet, reasonable, logical brother. Donatello never gave orders unless it was an emergency where his expertise was required.

As Raph hesitated in the corridor, Don huffed in frustration and cleared the doorway. In two strides he was at their side. Raphael could see the hardness in his eyes and the angry set of his jaw as he clenched his teeth.

"Donnie," Raph said surprised. "What...?"

But Donatello wasn't even looking at him anymore. His eyes were running over Luna from head to toe, over and over again, searching for the damage. Behind his brother's anger, Raph sensed an undercurrent of panic.

"What happened?" Don demanded, as he reached out to take her pulse.

"Woah, Donnie! She's just sleepin'," Raph replied, pulling her away. "Keep ya voice down."

Donatello visibly took hold of himself, took a deep breath, and nodded once sharply.

"We have to talk," Don said and stood aside so Raph could come through the door.

Raph entered and turned toward the infirmary, thinking to put Luna to bed first. He stopped abruptly.

The living room was in shambles. Parts of the sectional had been overturned, the recliner was on it's side, the TV lay on it's back sending sparks into the air, the lamps were knocked over, and their possessions had been strewn all about the room. There were long scorch marks across the walls and the larger overhead lights flickered ominously.

Weapons were discarded all over the space. Splintered wood and Nunchucks littered the floor. Throwing knives were embedded in the wall, and Leo's favorite katanas lay in pieces near what was left of the couch.

This did not look like a sparring match that got out of hand, though the brothers had experienced a few of those over the years. This looked like all out war had been wielded in the living room.

The only upright piece of furniture left was the coffee table and rising from it's center was a larger than life golden arrow which had been stuck through the surface like a dagger.

Raph's head snapped back around to Don, adrenaline hitting his system.

"What da hell happened, Don?" Raph said, angrily, then after a beat added, "Is it safe for Luna ta be here?"

Luna came awake with a jolt as Raphael's panic hit her through the bond. As she opened her eyes, he looked down at her and she saw fear and concern in his gaze. She looked past his face to see the familiar ceiling high above.

_They were home, why was that cause for panic? _

She struggled to get down and after a quick squeeze, that Luna thought was more to reassure himself than her, Raph set her on her feet. She looked around the living room in surprise, taking in the destruction, then her eyes narrowed as her gaze focused in on the golden arrow.

She drew in a breath with a sharp hiss and turned to Donnie.

"Everybody ok?" she asked intently.

Don shook his head wearily, "Mikey's got a torn hamstring and a broken arm, Leo…"

As soon a Donnie shook his head, Luna was reaching through the bond for Leonardo. Her heart skipped a beat, then two. She couldn't feel him. She turned on Don a sick feeling in her stomach.

"Where?" she demanded.

"The infirmary," Don said quietly.

Before he had even finished speaking, Luna spun and ran for the hall. No longer able to contain her anxiety and anger, her skin burst into a silver glow so bright Raph could barely stand to look at her and her hair erupted into flames. The brothers followed on her heels.

Luna shot through the door of the infirmary as if fired from a gun but stopped short just inside, as Michelangelo raised pain filled eyes to hers from where he lay on the stainless steel table, his leg propped up and his arm in a sling.

His eyes widened in awe, as he caught sight of her face within the glow. Last time she had been so infuriated, he'd been out cold. But he smiled weakly in relief at seeing she was ok, and tried to get off the table to go to her.

Don pushed past, ignoring Luna's flames and laid a hand on Mikey's shoulder, pressing him back down, as Raph slipped in behind them, watching it all unfold with confused eyes.

"Sit tight, Mikey." Donnie said. "Let her have a look at Leo first."

At that comment, Luna's head whipped up and her eyes searched the room until she spied Leonardo standing oddly in the corner. He was frozen in place, his face a mask of rage, his body coiled tightly in an offensive fighting stance.

"Sol?" she asked Don, over her shoulder, as she went to examine Leo more closely.

"She took it," Donnie said, apologetically.

"We tried to stop her, Luna," Mikey said, his voice full of sadness at their failure.

Raphael had past confused and moved into extreme anger.

"_Somebody_ betta tell me what da _hell _happened!" Raph growled.

Don eyed him warily, but thought he was contained enough to hear an explanation, since he wasn't yet on fire.

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to put in some extra hours examining those new blood samples I collected from you and Leo," Don began. "I'm trying to determine if your extra abilities are linked to our mutation."

Raph made an exasperated noise and a hurry up motion with his hand.

"Anyway," Donnie continued, "Leo was sitting on the couch alone when I came through on the way to the lab. Since he was supposed to be with Luna," Don's eyes flicked to where she was staring carefully into Leo's face, "I asked him what he was doing."

Raph made a grimace that said he was going to start beating on Donnie if he didn't get to the point soon.

"Long story short," Don said, hurriedly, "Leo said Luna had gone out. She managed to convince him she was meeting an ally, but it was another god, and she didn't want us to be seen."

"It was freakin' Zeus an' he wasn't in da best mood. She only called on him, cause she promised d'ose shades she would send 'em home. He didn't touch her physically but he practically destroyed her emotionally. Da' stuff he said ta her, I wanted ta kill 'em." Raph said in an angry undertone.

Mikey's face hardened at this news, his eyes turning cold, but Don nodded sagely. That explained a few things.

"Well," Don continued, "Right about then, Leo shot to his feet and said Luna was in trouble. But before he could get out the door, we had a perimeter breach."

"A goddess," Mikey chimed in quietly, "One we haven't met. She made with the glowing and echo-y voice and all."

"She wouldn't let us leave." Don said, lowering his voice further, still eyeing Luna. "Leo was freaking out, trying to get past her but this girl just laughed and kept the doors sealed. She cut off communications too so we couldn't get a message to you, or even Casey."

He frowned. Don hated having his tech messed with. It seriously annoyed him.

"Leo threw a few of those cool blue lightening things at the door and walls, trying to make a hole," Mikey added, "but it didn't work. When goddess girl snagged Sol out of midair, we had no choice but to attack her to try and save the li'l guy."

"Leo threw a couple of plasma bolts directly at her," Don said. "It pissed her off. She waved her hand at him and he, well... froze. She tossed that arrow, took Sol, and disappeared. We could finally get out, but none of us were really in any shape to go and the com units were, are, still shot." he grimaced.

Raph grunted.

Luna had been listening as she examined Leo. Now she rested a glowing hand gently on his arm and sighed, extinguishing her light and flames. She turned to face the room and, as the brothers watched expectantly, she raised her eyes toward the heavens and spoke very firmly.

"Diana Selena Heliades, get your ass back down here right now."


	34. Gods Above, Mortals Below

**Gods Above, Mortals Below**

Donatello was surprised. He'd been hoping Luna would know how to free Leonardo, but her bold familial demand astonished him. He exchanged bemused looks with Raphael and Michelangelo. They looked just as confused as he felt; though Mikey's gaze was fogged a little by pain.

"Diana," Luna drew the name out warningly, her hands on her hips and her foot tapping as she scolded thin air, "If you don't get back here right now and undo what you've done, I'm telling father how you snuck into Zeus' pleasure palace."

There was a moment's pause then the other goddess reappeared, right in the infirmary.

Raphael tensed and reached for his sai, but Don put a hand on Raph's shoulder and shook his head warningly. Don had already seen this goddess in action. Nothing they could do would change the outcome of this meeting. Luna had called her, so presumably, she felt she could handle it.

This goddess was tall and willowy, with long brunette hair captured in a tight bun against the back of her head. She wore loose white leather pants, a white blouse with billowing sleeves, and a strange sort of white leather vest that resembled a sleeveless hoodie. A silver bow was slung carelessly across her shoulders and a quiver full of large golden arrows crossed her back.

Donatello suddenly made the connection with her name. No wonder they couldn't get a hit in edgewise earlier. This was Diana, Goddess of the Hunt; who, according to mythology, could control animals. He glanced at Leonardo's still form and grimaced.

_I guess we're close enough to fall into that category._

"Hello Sister," Diana said, mockingly. "I see you lived through Zeus' scolding."

Raphael eyed the goddess and fidgeted angrily but Luna ignored the taunt.

"Diana, what in Hades did you think you were doing? You attacked our family!" Luna was trying to keep her voice level, but she wasn't really succeeding.

"Actually, they attacked me," Diana replied. "_I'm_ family and I don't see you scolding them."

"After you appeared without warning, didn't explain who you were, held them against their will, and kidnapped a piece of my soul," Luna hissed softly, her voice all the more menacing because of it, "I think they had reason."

"Look Luna," Diana said, sharply. "Mother sent me to keep your _precious _family away from Zeus because she knew they couldn't control themselves where you're concerned. You should be grateful I acted."

"Your _actions _provoked them without need!" Luna retorted, through clenched teeth.

Diana shrugged, "I needed the workout."

Diana turned away from Luna's glare and walked to Leonardo. She paced deliberately around him; lightly dragging her fingertips up one arm across his shoulders and down the other, with a look bordering on sinful admiration.

"This one's quite the strategist," Diana drawled wickedly, "He almost had me a few times. With a little training he could be extremely...dangerous."

From the tone of her voice, the kind of training she had in mind wasn't restricted to the battlefield. Luna's eyes went flat, and just the ends of her hair began to flicker.

"Remove your hands from my soulmate _now _or I'll remove them for you," Luna growled threateningly. "If I do it, you won't have the use of them for weeks."

Don's eyes narrowed as he watched Diana's little display, gleaning all the information he could. There was more than a hint of envy there. Resentment practically oozed out her pores and the little sneer on her face said she didn't think much of Luna.

He saw Raph start to move in response to Diana's antagonism and cautioned him to stay put with a sharp glance. There was a power struggle going on between the two sisters and Luna would only look weaker if Raph interfered.

The glare Raph sent Don in return said he was near his breaking point. Donatello was actually surprised Raphael had held onto his temper this long. It seemed his self control was improving further as his relationship with Luna progressed.

Michelangelo watched the drama unfold as if it were a soap opera. Of course he was confident Luna would win if it came to a fight. Donnie wasn't so sure. Luna was not at full strength, Sol was missing, and there was an undercurrent of something else going on here. He just couldn't pinpoint it yet.

"Now Luna, don't be like that," Diana pouted, her face the epitome of a spoiled child denied a treat. "We used to share our toys. Why don't you give him to me? It would show Zeus that you can be civilized after all."

Luna glared pointedly at Diana's hands, still clasped about Leo's forearm, and refused to dignify that last remark with a response.

Diana reluctantly released Leo, with one last lingering pat to his forearm, and walked away as Luna held on to her temper by the skin of her teeth. It was all the more difficult with Raphael's outraged indignation flowing strongly through the bond.

Luna counted ten slow, measured, breaths before she spoke again, softly.

"Diana, they are family. You will treat them with the respect they are due or you will answer to a higher authority," Luna reminded her.

Helios did not allow familial disrespect in any form. Bloodline and family name were paramount in Olympian society, and Helios' penalties were harsh and immediate.

"Now if you don't mind," Luna continued, "I'd like Sol, and my soulmate, back."

"Fine!" Diana said with venom, "You can have your annoying little flame. But I won't release _him_."

Diana gestured to Leo once again, her face a mask of jealous scorn.

"If he really is your soulmate, Sol's all he'll need to be free. If not," she smiled deviously, "then all Olympus will know how deceitful you truly are."

Raph drew a sharp audible breath. So that was her game. She wasn't satisfied with Luna's disgrace, however unearned, she wanted Luna totally discredited as well. But why?

Diana waved her hand and Sol reappeared. She watched with smug anticipation, expecting the soul to float back to Luna. Instead, without delay or hesitation, Sol zipped straight into Leonardo and he melted back into motion.

Leo fluidly centered himself into a neutral stance as his gaze swept the room. If he was startled to be in a different location than before, he didn't show it but his eyes widened when he saw Luna in front of him facing off with the other goddess.

With a snarl, Leo executed a fast turn and switch maneuver, and Luna was suddenly behind him as he took up a defensive posture. She could feel his boiling anger but he made no further move. He simply shielded her with his body and waited to see if the intruder would bring the fight to him.

Diana swallowed her shock and disbelief, trying to mask it behind a face stiff with indifference. But not before Don noted it.

She raised a brow. "Protective, isn't he."

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Leonardo demanded, in a low threatening tone.

Luna glared daggers at Diana over Leo's shoulder until she answered.

"I am Diana, Daughter of Helios and Selene," she said grudgingly.

"And she's here," Luna said, sternly, "to clean up her mess."

* * *

It was noon before Luna finally fell into bed, completely exhausted.

Another short, sharp, argument had ensued, but she'd managed to convince her sister to undo all the damage the fight had caused. Afterward, Diana was only too happy to leave the sewers; making frequent disparaging remarks about the unsuitableness of her surroundings.

Then, Luna carefully supervised Leonardo as he practiced his healing on Michelangelo. He was getting better at controlling his energy, but he had already taxed himself against Diana and Luna wanted to make sure everything went smoothly.

Donatello's unquenchable curiosity drove him to record the whole procedure for later study. He set up a ton of cameras and lamented loudly about the lighting and lack of appropriate scanning equipment to capture it all.

Raphael refused to leave Luna's side; his suspicious glare constantly traveling over the empty room, waiting for the next interruption. His temper was frayed, and staying in sight of her was the only thing keeping his fire contained.

But with the five of them packed in so close it was getting a little claustrophobic in the infirmary and Luna was beginning to show signs of stress.

Michelangelo lay quietly throughout, his gaze flicking from face to face as they all gathered about him. He ignored Donnie; more than used to tuning out his genius brother's constant muttering.

Raph to Luna. Leo to Raph. Leo to Luna. His sharp eyes checked the emotional temperature of each relationship. But mostly he watched the parade of feelings that flowed over his sister's face.

She was obviously overwhelmed. Anger, anxiety, fear, and dread were her most common expressions, tempered with relief at their safety and love as she surveyed them. But really, more than anything she was tired, confused, and needed some time to herself to regroup.

_She's at the end of her rope._ _Dammit, why can't she get even a moment's peace? _

The second he was fully healed Mikey sat up, slid off the table, and faced his brothers.

"Look bros, we all need to compare notes, but everyone's tired and quite frankly a little too cranky. Hows about we all hit it for a while and have a family meeting later?" he said.

Michelangelo wasn't taking no for an answer, deliberately crowding his three siblings toward the door. One quick glance back at Luna's relieved expression was all the encouragement he needed to keep them moving. He forced them out into the hall and shut the door firmly behind them.

* * *

Michelangelo prowled from room to room restlessly. He'd managed to get his brothers corralled into their rooms, if not their beds, with the promise that he would stay up and keep watch over the lair. They were exhausted, but with his cells just reinvigorated from the healing Mikey felt like he'd had a good twelve hours rest.

The necessity of keeping watch in their own home was enough to make him nervous, but that didn't adequately explain his current agitation. He felt outraged. No... angry and neither were emotions he was used to handling.

Luna was suffering and the situation just kept getting worse. The 'powers that be' seemed determined to degrade her. Charon wanted to destroy her for her soul and power. Her own sister was more inclined to discredit than support her. There had to be something he could do.

Michelangelo couldn't help feeling that he was staring at a puzzle with large sections still missing. There was an awful lot of maneuvering going on that they knew nothing about. They needed more information on the situation. He sighed, frustrated, wishing he could see the bigger picture.

Everyone needed to come together, he decided. They were all holding some of the missing pieces. They just needed to start at the beginning and work their way through Luna's story one step at a time. Then they might have some hope of finishing it and finding some peace.

It was definitely time for that family meeting. He'd call one as soon as everyone was up again.

Decision made, Mikey let his mind wander as he continued to patrol their space. And without fail, his mind wandered back to Luna. She was his first thought in the morning and his last as he went to sleep. This time, though, he wasn't contemplating his brothers' relationships or their current problems; he was just mulling over the goddess herself.

Luna was fascinating. She was a complex mix of, well...everything; and he never really tired of thinking about her. She had a mysterious past; a really, really long one. And even though Mikey was by no means a history buff, he wanted to ask her a ton of questions about the things she'd seen.

She also had strong, if somewhat unreliable, powers. This only brought her closer to his heart, as it made her more like the heroines he'd followed for years in his comics. It also made her more approachable. She wasn't _always _the overwhelming goddess he'd seen burst into the infirmary this morning. Sometimes she was just as vulnerable as the rest of them.

Like yesterday, when she broke down on his shoulder. He had been surprised when she turned to him, thinking that one of her mates would have been chosen instead. But he was proud that she trusted him enough to expose her feelings that way and happy to know that even though she had his two strong brothers, she needed him too.

She had an amazing number of facets to her personality. She was fun, witty, and quick with a comeback, as he knew from his hours of conversation with her while she was recovering.

She was extremely intelligent. Mikey had listened in awe as she and Donnie held discussions about universal constraints and energy theory, and she posed some scenarios that even had his genius brother scratching his head and saying he had to think about it.

She was wise. She never just gave Don the answers he sought; she guided him, challenged him, and let him form his own conclusions.

She was compassionate, always trying to improve the situation of those around her. Mikey really wasn't surprised to find she was working for a shelter before her attack. She truly cared about the lives of others. In that way, she and Leo were very much alike.

She had a bit of a temper. Nothing so extreme as Raphael's constant rage, but Mikey definitely wanted to stay on her good side. He seen her scolding the others and was glad she hadn't had a reason to take him to task.

Her true anger was amazing. He thought back to the sight of her this morning when she burst through the infirmary doors. Her face was stern and righteous, her hair literally on fire, but it was her sheer presence that had impressed him the most.

The overwhelming feeling of an indomitable will prepared to defend, or avenge, any damage done. The extra flare of anger in her eyes as she beheld his injuries had sent an electric pulse through him; demanded that he respond to her concern. He'd instinctively tried but Donnie had kept him on the table.

Michelangelo came out of his thoughts with a start to find he was kneeling next to Luna's bed; staring into her face while she slept. Without realizing it, his patrol had brought him to the infirmary, and it seemed he had not been stopped by the closed door.

_That's ok. I'm just checking on her. Brother's are supposed to look out for their little sisters. After all, any immortal could have just popped in here behind the closed door, _he rationalized.

He went back to examining her face; disregarding the intimacy of the act. She was so relaxed in sleep, and she looked so peaceful lying there. Far cry from the angry and tormented woman she had been during his healing. He wished he knew how to make the peace permanent for her.

Because her joy was the most profound facet of all.


	35. The Price of Genius

**The Price of Genius**

Donatello sat staring at the two DNA profiles spinning side by side on his largest monitor and let out a long suffering sigh as he rubbed his temple. Both samples were from Leo; one taken months ago before his contact with Sol, the other taken after the battle with the wraiths. He'd postulated a further DNA mutation and hoped to see a difference in the two samples. But no such luck.

Yet another theory to be crossed off the list of possible causes for the mental and physical powers his brothers had unlocked when they agreed to a soulbond with Luna. Though the others didn't understand the urgency, Don felt it was necessary to isolate the mechanism by which their powers had been activated as soon as possible.

More and more immortals kept intruding into their lives. Diana was just the latest and most violent occurrence. Donatello felt at a distinct disadvantage with Leo and Raph having to compensate for his and Mikey's inability to innately affect beings from the other plane.

Donatello had the strongest feeling that time was against them. It would not be much longer before Charon figured out that Luna was still alive, if he hadn't already, and then they could be dealing with any number of other planer creatures; possibly right here in their home.

If he could figure out what the trigger was and use it to unlock their powers, it would even the playing field. Don worried about the consequences of that, of course, but Luna had said they would grow into their powers eventually, so it shouldn't hurt to unlock them early. They certainly had need of them and now they had Luna to train them.

It had been a week since Diana had pulled her little stunt. Don had spent most of it closeted in the lab working on a multitude of tests designed to prove some theories or disprove others.

Luna was coaching Raph and Leo through a series of exercises designed to improve their energy control in case of another immortal perimeter breach. Even Sol and Fina were helping by providing the targets.

Michelangelo was trying to piece together the motives of the players in this drama, so he spent hours with Luna, learning about Olympus and day to day life there, combing through her enemies to see who might be involved. Even April dropped by a time or two to add her perspective.

_Something has to break soon._

Everyone was jumpy and on edge, knowing an attack could come at any time. Patrols of the entire home had been assigned in eight hour shifts, during which they wandered from room to room, seeking any difference in their surroundings.

_It's a hell of a way to live._

Don sighed again and stared mournfully into his long empty coffee cup. He needed a break but it just seemed like too much effort to get out of the chair to make more coffee. He hated to admit it but he was reaching burnout. He needed something new to concentrate on, something that could really get his creative juices flowing, or there would be no new breakthroughs.

The sound of light footsteps approaching made him suddenly jerk to attention; sitting up straight in his chair then slouching back down as he tried for nonchalance. It could only be Luna making her way toward him. All his brothers, except Leo, had heavier steps; Leo he never heard at all.

Her scent hit him next, as he kept his back diffidently turned to the door. Lilies and hyacinths, a combination that epitomized her essence, swirled around the doorframe and washed over him.

It brought to mind images of her that he should, in all propriety, forget.

She was no longer his patient. Now that Leo could heal, Don's skills were no longer required. He had no more need to be examining her in detail as he had before; not even in his mind. But it was hard to let go of those images. Even as damaged as she had been Luna was beautiful.

Donatello admired beauty in all it's forms, but Luna embodied something special.

_She's like a work of art._

Something one could gaze upon and worship from afar but could never dream of owning. He had been her conservator; carefully nurturing and restoring her for the benefit of others. Always for others.

Like all great works she was bound to attract attention. There would always be those who coveted her and those who would give anything to keep her safe and whole. Donnie classed himself firmly into the latter category.

Don shook himself and looked up with a grateful smile as another scent came to him. Luna stood beside him now holding out a steaming mug of fresh dark roast coffee; prepared just the way he liked it.

The fact that he had noticed her scent before the overpowering aroma of the coffee warned him that his thoughts were becoming too preoccupied with her. He needed, once again, to lock those thoughts away but he allowed himself one quick moment to run his eyes over her from head to toe. Just to be sure she was all right.

Now that she was fully recovered and mostly rested, she was more than all right; she was radiant.

Don quickly diverted his gaze to his coffee as she smiled at him in return. Her smile did things to him that he didn't even want to admit to himself.

He cleared his throat rather abruptly.

"Thank you, Luna. I really needed this," Don said, holding up the cup in salute. After a slight pause in which she said nothing, he added, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes- maybe, oh I hope so. Donnie, this is driving me crazy!" Luna burst out in her bell like voice.

Donatello blinked. That was the first time she had ever called him 'Donnie' to his face. He knew she had latched on to all of their nicknames, and she'd probably referred to him that way to his brothers, but she'd never said it directly to him before. It felt special somehow; intimate.

_Donatello- focus! It's not decent to be thinking such things. _He berated himself sharply.

"Well, I'll certainly try. What's bothering you, Luna?" Don's voice, at least, remained steady even as his pulse began to race.

"There's a solution- I think- to the problem we've been having with the immortals just showing up here," she began and suddenly had his undivided attention.

This sounded like just the sort of distraction he needed. His gazed sharpened, he forgot his misgivings, and looked directly into her face. Her eyes were blue and her hair was red. She had both souls with her; that meant she was operating at top capacity. Usually in this state she really challenged him.

_When we find the other souls I probably won't be able to follow her thought process anymore._

"That's welcome news," he replied. "What are you struggling with?"

"Energy conversion," she said.

Don raised a brow, intrigued, inviting her to continue.

"Ok, Remember when I was describing to Raph and Leo the kind of personal shields they should be practicing?" she asked. "Particularly the physical ones?"

Don nodded. He had hung on every word of that conversation. The idea that aural energy could be transformed into matter that would become a barrier to physical objects was a fascinating concept. Essentially, it was a force field they could activate at will, powered by their own personal energy.

When Luna had proven that concept with a demonstration, he had been amazed. Leo and Raph were slowly getting the hang of projecting those barriers but it took a lot out of them to maintain one. The longest they could hold it, so far, was around 3 minutes.

"There are other variations on that type of shielding. One of them only blocks what you've been referring too as other planer energy. Most immortals are composed of that energy and they would be unable to enter if we constructed such a shield around our home," she said.

_Our home. Not the lair, the sewers, or your home; ours. Could she really want to stay here with us long term? _

He buried his surprise, forcing a neutral expression. He had thought she would return to Olympus after her punishment ended; even if she visited to spend time with Raph and Leo. That she would want to live with them permanently? It seemed so improbable he hadn't even calculated the odds.

"That's sounds like a feasible concept, but how would we power and support such a construct?" Don said, forcing his thoughts back on track, "Right now, you're the only one who can hold a shield for any length of time."

"That's where I need your help. The construct doesn't have to be held in place by a person, it just needs to be a framework that supports a difference engine and a sensor that recognizes the other planer energy signatures. All it needs to do is tell the barrier to be on or off."

Don's mind reeled. "You're talking about a simple computer program."

Luna nodded. "Another program could provide the parameters to determine the actual structure of the barrier and it's location. Really, all the energy needs is a set of instructions."

"Ok, but even if I wrote such a program, where would we get the energy to power the shield?" Don asked.

"Leonardo already solved that one for us," Luna laughed. "Remember his little mistake in the dojo?"

"The modular energy vortex!" Don exclaimed. "Wait! Can he make another one?"

"He doesn't need to. I grounded the first one into a batch of crystal under us," she said casually. "It's been feeding itself and has become it's own stable energy node; totally unconnected to the local ley lines. It's strong enough now that we could probably shield all of Manhattan if we wanted too but that might draw some unwanted attention."

Don sat back in his chair, stunned. This might actually work, and if it did, it would provide them with the peace of mind to sleep at night. It would allow them to stop patrolling the house. Plus it would give them a defensible position they could fall back to if attacked outside.

"Luna... that's amazing!" Donatello said, a little breathless.

In his excitement, he rose from his chair and gripped her upper arms gently, staring into her eyes. Her intellect was staggering, but her ability to assemble disparate elements into a new whole was so akin to his own method of working that it was easy to fall into a rapport with her.

She made a little face, a sort of sideways grimace, and Don thought he might have overstepped. He dropped his arms and moved away; putting a careful distance between them.

"There's still a problem," she groused, turning to half lean, half sit on the edge of his desk and crossing her arms over her chest, "The energy conversion. Somehow we've got to get it _out_ of the crystal and projected through the program. I've been thinking about it for days and that's the part driving me crazy."

_Ah, she's frustrated. That frown wasn't because of me… _

Don smiled.

"There I think I can help you. If this crystal formation is what I think it is, we're not going to have any problems." Don said. "It may take a little time to salvage the parts, but I think we can put something together."

_Before something really bad gets in here._

* * *

Charon knelt on the top of the building in the pale light of the setting sun. There was just enough twilight left to make out the large blood stain, long since dried, near the elevator. But he didn't need light to know it was there. The Guardian of the Dead could sense such things. The blood called to him. A signal of a brush with death.

This was what he was here to see.

He hadn't truly believed the human magician when he claimed that Luna was still alive. The idea was ludicrous. She had been confined to a mortal, human body, and denied her powers. Charon had seen her death through the eyes of the mortals he had hired to end her.

But the description of the woman on fire, who had blasted his wraiths to pieces as they traced an echo of one of the souls, was too much of a coincidence to simply be ignored. If she were alive and _if _she had somehow regained her power than this had become a different kind of hunt entirely; with a far more dangerous and intriguing query.

There was more blood on the rooftop than Charon was expecting. Aside from the large pool, there were spatters all over the area. This battle must have been epic and yet someone, somehow, had kept it quiet.

At least four different beings had bled in this space. None of them were human, but one was definitely female. He brought that sample to his lips and tasted it. It burned in his mouth with a familiar cinnamon-like sting; igniting an almost irresistible desire for more.

Oh it _was_ her. He'd never expected to experience that addictive flavor again. Yet here it was.

He forced himself to leave the rest of the sample untasted and brought his full talent to bear on the remaining blood; learning all he could. She was alive, with at least some power intact. She was and yet, was not, mortal any longer. This confused him. He could not tell her location, so she was obviously strong enough to block that.

It didn't matter. With this little bit of blood, he could send a bevy of creatures to bring her to him.

This was his chance. A chance to have the very thing he thought he'd destroyed because it was forever out of his reach. He would not make that mistake again. He would no longer settle for just her power. He would have the whole goddess. And in her weakened state, he would control her mind, body and soul.

* * *

Luna was screaming.

Horrible, pain filled cries that pierced straight to the heart. The agonizing screams of a tormented soul for whom there is no escape.

Donatello was awake instantly. His worst fears fully realized. Something had found it's way to them, evaded their patrols, and now _she _was suffering. Suffering horribly.

He vaulted out of bed and shot out the door, snatching up his bo from where it rested against the frame. He didn't pause, leaping straight over the railing of the balcony to land directly in front of the infirmary as the heart-rending cries went on and on.

Raphael was right behind him, a knife in his hand.

They burst through the door together, Raph going high with an immense jump and summersault; Don sliding in low on his knees, bent so far back his shell scraped across the floor. Neither where an enemy would expect them to be. Raph landed easily on the stainless table and immediately began fending off dark flying creatures that were almost, but not quite, bats.

If bats were the size of chickens and had talons as big as Don's hands.

"Luna!" Raph gasped in horror, as his gaze fastened on her still shrieking form.

A number of the creatures gripped Luna's arms, legs, and night clothes; straining to lift her towards a glowing portal that hovered above them. She struggled to break free. Her body was coated in silver but every time she she attempted to direct her power at the creatures her form was rocked with horrible spasms. It looked as if she were being electrocuted.

Rage blossomed and fire was born as Raph growled, "Let 'er go!"

He concentrated and the creatures nearest him began to crash down in flames. It was hard to tell how many of them there were. For each one Raph destroyed several more swooped in through the portal to take their place.

Don's eyes rapidly scanned Luna as he slid across the floor searching for the source of the current. If there was electricity running through her, he couldn't touch her without falling prey to it as well. Don reared up on his knees, still several feet away and took out a group of creatures with three sharp strokes of his bo. His lips thinned in satisfaction as they flew across the room.

_At least these creatures have some sort of physical substance I can affect. _

But Luna was still screaming; he _had _to help her. Finally he saw it, just as Michelangelo and Leonardo entered the fray. Around Luna's neck was a strange metal collar with a large green jewel in the front. The portal throbbed in time with the light in that stone.

Intuitively he understood. Luna was the power source. The energy she was releasing in her struggle to get free was not only generating the portal above her, but also causing the electric shock. She had to stop the flow.

Donatello had no way to get through to her. She could not hear him over her own screams. He couldn't speak to her soul like his brother's could and any moment now she might kill herself; her heart stopped forever by her own power.

Don saw only one way to end this. Though it practically killed him to do it, he swung his bo around her, reversed his strike, and landed a carefully gauged blow to the back of Luna's head; knocking her unconscious.

Leonardo watched in alarm, countering his own attackers, as Donnie raised his bo. He had seen Don perform this move before and could not believe he would follow through. But the trajectory was easy enough to read. Don was going to strike her.

"No!" shouted Leo, but he was too far away to stop it. Mikey and Raph spun to look just as Don's weapon collided with her head.

Luna went limp. The portal flickered and went out. The remaining creatures supporting her blurred into smoke and disappeared; she fell. Donatello dropped his weapon, launched himself into the air, and caught her. He landed hard, going down on one knee to absorb the impact and cushioning Luna with his arms.

Don looked up from his kneeling position to find Leo's katana at his throat. He froze.

"Raph," Leo barked in command, territorial rage in his eyes, "Take her."

Raphael swooped in like a stooping hawk and snatched Luna from Don's arms. Don released her quickly and swallowed hard. He locked his gaze with Leo's but said nothing. Mikey's eyes flitted to Don's face then back to Leo's.

Don remained motionless. Leo wasn't looking at him sternly like a brother who'd done something wrong; Leo was looking at him ruthlessly like an enemy who deserved to die.

Mikey approached them slowly, giving Leo plenty of time to see him coming, before he reached up and rested a hand on Leo's shoulder.

"You don't want to do this. Donnie is your bro and your best friend," Mikey reminded him quietly. "He loves Luna. He wouldn't have hurt her unless it was the only solution."

"He should _never_ hurt Luna," Leo hissed, but his eyes were less piercing; less certain. Mikey drew back his hand in surprise.

"I'm sure there was a _very _good reason…" Mikey trailed off turning to Don.

"She was killing herself," Don said simply.

"That's a good reason," Mikey said, nodding in agreement.

"How?" Leo spat, his tone still hostile. The sword in his hand did not waver.

"There's a collar around her neck. It looked like it was draining her to produce that portal and shocking her." Don said. "The more power she poured into her defence the worse the effect. In another moment, her heart would have stopped."

"Raph?" Leo called roughly, asking his brother to check Luna's neck. Leo refused to look away from where he held Don at sword point.

Raphael had laid Luna gently out on the treatment table and was now examining the collar; trying to see how it worked.

"She has got something 'round 'er neck. I haven't seen it before. It don't look like jewelry," Raph said. He fiddled with it a moment longer. "It won't come off."

With Raph's confirmation, the anger died in Leo's gaze. Draining away as quickly as it had appeared. Horror at what he had almost done took it's place. His sword fell to the floor with a clatter and he dropped to his knees beside Don; his head bowed.

"I am so sorry, Donatello," Leo said. "You have never given me _any _reason to distrust your actions. I- I completely lost it. I must have been out of my mind, to even think that..."

Leonardo felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, stopping his words. He looked up to find nothing but forgiveness and warmth in Donatello's eyes.

"She is your mate," Don reassured him quietly. "None of us have experienced that before. There was no way you could have known, or prepared for, that kind of rage."

"I didn't see Raph holding a sword to your throat, Don," Leo said sadly.

"D'at's only 'cause ya beat me to it bro," Raph spoke gruffly from the other side of the table.

"Sorry Don," he added sheepishly.

Donatello smiled back. Two apologies from his older brothers in one day. That had to be one for the record books.

"S'okay Raph. I'm just glad I could stop her before it was too late. Now, let's see about getting that collar off. Then Leo can heal her. I'm sure there are some internal burns," Don said, worriedly.

Leo's hand on his shoulder stopped Don in his tracks as he stepped to Luna's side.

"Tomorrow, Don," Leo said, decisively. "As long as she's fit to move around, we'll take her to get those parts. We can't put it off, we need that shield."

Don nodded grimly. There was no other way. Tomorrow they would take her home.


End file.
